Time To Kill
by markovgirl
Summary: Misaki can't sleep. Tora is bored. Usui doesn't know what to do. M for adult situations, language.
1. Chapter 1

_Redone. Hope you all enjoy this version._

 _-0-_

"If you need to spread rumours, I suggest you make them about someone else!"

Igarashi, and the rest of the room for that matter, stared at the dark-haired girl as she turned on her heel and flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her. There was a deathly silence, apart from the rhythmic _drip drip drip_ that fell from Tora's hair to the floor. He couldn't quite believe that she had the gall to throw a drink in his face - in front of the entire party! A red blush spread across his cheeks as anger began to boil in his chest.

"Uh - Sir?" a voice beside him piped up.

The boy swiveled to meet the face of his friend-cum-butler, trying desperately to maintain calm. "Yes?"

Maki coughed nervously and gestured toward the door. "Are you alright?"

Tora scowled. "Just dandy."

"Would you like me to fetch you a tow-"

"Save it, Maki," he replied, irritably. Slowly, he wiped a hand across his face and shook the drops of wine from his hand. "Do excuse me, Maki. I hope the rest of the party is excellent."

Maki mumbled something as Tora headed toward the door - he didn't stop to ask what. He strode into the corridor, slamming the door behind him as hard as Ayuzawa had done. Stupid girl! How dare she embarrass him like that? He stopped outside of the classroom door and muttered a charm under his breath. Instantly, the red wine dissipated from his hair and shirt. True, he had started a rumour that they were fucking, but that was only to isolate her from her friends, from Usui, to get her on her own. He never expected her to react like this! How dare she storm into Miyabigoka's private party? Clearly she was prepared to fight her corner - as was he.

He frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets as he began to walk down the dark corridor. She was such a mystery to him. The girl appeared in his life, some commoner with a fiery temper and an over-inflated sense of self worth. She was nothing. But the odd incident, the odd encounter, the occasional stray glance had caught his eye. She made snide, aggravating comments about his heritage, his appearance and refused to be swayed by the charm that usually worked on females. Everything about her irked him.

Then why, he consistently asked himself, did he want to rip her clothes from her body and to bite deeply into her soft, pale skin-

Misaki sighed and leaned back against the wall of the empty hallway. She shouldn't have reacted like that. But, after being informed by a classmate that Igarashi had been spreading lies about their 'relationship', she had not been able to contain her anger. Those ugly untruths were the reason she had been so ostracized by the students at Seika! The reason that Usui kept pouting and making puppy-dog eyes at her!

A noise from the end of the hallway startled her, so she quickly ducked into an empty classroom to her right, closing the door quietly behind her. The girl took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm her anger. It was idiotic to have come here tonight, she really shouldn't have stormed the student party in the way she did. But it felt good to embarrass Igarashi in front of his classmates like that. The look on his wine-stained face had been entirely worth it. Still, she had to get out of Miyabigaoka before anyone else found her trespassing.

"Bastard!" she growled, kicking the leg of a table in annoyance.

"I gather that you are referring to me."

Misaki drew in a sharp breath and turned to face the voice that addressed her. Tora stood in front of the closed door, leaning casually against the stone frame. She noticed that he was no longer dripping with red wine, though a large stain marred the pristine white of his shirt. _Good._

"Obviously. What right do you have to spout that nonsense!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

Tora cocked his head and smirked at her. "Nonsense?"

He took a couple of steps toward her, standing just half a metre away. Instinctively, she stepped back, but found herself stumbling into a desk. Igarashi chuckled under his breath.

"There's truth to every rumour, don't you think?" he asked, inching closer still.

Panicking, she held up a hand and poked it into his chest. "There is no truth whatsoever to that rubbish."

"Yes there is," he retorted. Suddenly, he jerked his hand up and snatched her hand, pulling her closer to him.

"Shut up, Igarashi!" she snapped. "Your stupid rumors didn't stick. I set your lies straight with the students at Seika, they won't believe anything else you say."

"Huh," he smirked. "Still denying-"

Angrily, Misaki pushed him away, swallowing thickly. She had to admit it was easy to be distracted by the blonde Student Council President - he was far too easy on the eyes. It was unfair, really, that such a man should be so handsome. His looks were clearly an asset he was aware of, for he sent her a callous smirk when he noticed her staring.

"There is nothing between us!" she snapped, beginning to walk past him to the door.

He pressed a hand against her shoulder and roughly pushed her back, causing her knees to crumple against the desk. She let out a yelp as she was forced to sit, turning her head to glare at him. As usual, his face was set in a smug expression.

"Then why do I want to fuck you over that desk, Ayuzawa?" he hissed, stepping close to her and placing his hands on either side of her hips. The girl squirmed underneath him and forced herself to look away. "Why do I want to be so fucking deep inside you that I make you scream my name?"

Misaki froze, unable to form words properly for a moment. That wasn't what she expected at all and it was far from what she wanted. But - why then did her stomach fill with butterflies and her heart begin to race that little bit faster? She could not be attracted to Tora Igarashi, she told herself. And even if she was, it was for the basest, most shallow reasons - she knew his true face and it was far from attractive.

"B-because you're-" she stammered, leaning back to get away from him. He smelt of wine, clearly a result of her assault, and the pungent stench of tobacco. "You're mad."

Tora laughed, deep and breathy. Far from the high-pitched rasp of his future self. "Then let me be mad."

With that, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Initially, her eyes fluttered shut as she grew overwhelmed with the multitude of sensations he caused her. Then, as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss and one of his hands travelled to the back of her head, she was jolted to her senses.

Quickly, she ducked under his arm and sprinted toward the door, not looking back for fear of never leaving. He called out her name, but she had already shut the door behind her and scuttled away, out of sight.

-0-

 _"Answer me when I speak to you."_

 _She placed her hands against his chest and crumpled his shirt between her fingers, but ceased when he twisted her hair again._

 _"Answer. Tell me what you want, Misaki. Tell me you want qme too."_

 _"Oh God!" she gasped, hands once again clutching at his shirt._

 _He growled deeply, removing his hand from her breast to catch both her wrists between his fingers. He was so close to her now, she could feel his lips moving against her cheek._

 _"Tell me," he whispered. The hand in her hair disappeared and wandered down her stomach. She let out a strangled moan when she felt his fingers dip under her waistband and over her sex. He smirked and chuckled against her cheek. Misaki shut her eyes and resisted moaning louder as his fingers trailed over her outer lips. "So wet for me already?"_

 _The man released her wrists and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. One of his fingers moved upwards and began gently circling her clit, leaving her unable to contain her moans any longer. Her knees buckled slightly as the waves of pleasure began to get stronger, so he held her tighter against his chest. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her body and her hips began to grind as she neared her peak._

 _"Oh f-fuck," she cried, clutching his shirt in her fists tighter than before. It felt expensive. His fingers worked her clit faster and she whimpered, pressing her body flush against his, feeling his erection against her stomach. The feeling of his clothes against her bare chest was strange, he seemed so composed and in control, whilst she was coming undone by minimal movements._

 _"You're positively dripping," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. As she felt her climax nearing, his hand slowed considerably, and she let out a pained cry. "Ask me to come."_

 _"What?" she groaned, unable to think straight. He slid two fingers inside of her, holding them there, never moving. She opened her eyes and her breath hitched when she saw golden ones staring back at her._

 _"Beg me to come. Just give in to me, Misaki. Beg."_

" _Igarashi, please-"_

She woke suddenly, sitting bolt upright in her bed. Her body shook slightly and as she turned to her bedside table to retrieve a glass of water she found her clothes clung to her sweat-drenched skin.

 _Beg._

She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them tightly into her chest. Why did this keep happening?

-0-

Tora Igarashi was bored.

The heir to the Igarashi Conglomerate despised being bored.

He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk he sat behind. It was four o'clock on the Thursday, what the fuck was there to do anyway? He yawned and began to drum his fingers rhythmically against his cheek. This boredom _had_ to be remedied.

Maki was out of the city for the day, so he wasn't available to play with. Tora didn't consider the man a friend but he was the closest thing to one that the man had - and he did whatever Tora asked of him, which was amusing. Girls then. He had plenty of options to choose from and one of his favourite games was to see how much he could torment them by allowing them to believe he cared about them. In the end, he always left. He sighed again and shut his eyes. No, even that routine was getting tired. He needed something fresh, a challenge, something exciting…

He opened his eyes and leaned back, lacing his hand together in his lap. In the corner of his vision, he noticed an errant piece of paper sticking out from the neat stack of books on his desk. He reached out and removed it, turning it over in his hand. It was the photo Maki had taken of Seika High's Student President in a maid uniform. Misaki Ayuzawa. A smirk spread across his face. She was an interesting girl, wasn't she? He turned over ideas of what game to play and stroked his finger over the puncture marks in the paper, the result of his darts. Tora chuckled darkly under his breath. He had yet to pay her back for throwing wine in his face, thanks to a hectic month within the Igarashi company. An appealing idea formed in his mind. He thought back to the moment he held her down on the desk behind which he now sat. The way her skin felt underneath his hands, how that dress had hugged her figure, the look of anger in her eyes that turned to panic when his lips brushed hers. And the last time he had seen her, her lips had been so soft - the memory alone was exciting him. Yes, she certainly was an interesting woman. He liked her.

Tora smiled and placed the picture back on the desk. What fun.

-0-

It had been a long day for Misaki Ayuzawa. She had endured a full day of school then a four hour evening shift at Maid Latte, followed by an irritating twenty minutes of Usui taunting her in the alley behind the cafe, and now, homework. The girl settled down at her desk, now changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and a thick flannel shirt, and allowed herself a couple of deep breaths. For a moment, the green-eyed boy lingered in her thoughts, but she soon shook them away and opened her textbooks. It was a good thing she was so organised and had preemptively completed most of her work or this could have taken all evening. It was a quiet night in the house - her Sister was away on a school camping trip and her Mother was working the night shift at the hospital and wouldn't return home until tomorrow afternoon. Though she loved them both dearly it was nice to get some peace. She hoped her dreams would be blank tonight, she was exhausted.

Her stomach grumbled angrily and she placed a hand over it. Damn, she was hungry. It took a lot of energy to keep her life running so efficiently. Luckily, she had brought home some leftovers from Maid Latte, which were still wrapped up in foil in her bag. As she crossed the bedroom to retrieve her satchel from her bed, she noticed a car parked on the opposite side of the street. It was a fancy looking piece of machinery, not the usual type one would see in her neighborhood. The headlights were dimmed and from the dull whirring of the engine, she could tell it was still running. How odd.

The girl thought no more of it and moved back to her desk, unwrapping the leftovers and placing them next to her work. She smiled at the dainty sandwiches, thinking of her co-workers. They were an excitable bunch and though she found them slightly wearing at times, they always looked out for her. Just as Misaki raised one of the sandwiches to her lips, her phone buzzed loudly. She quickly snatched it up. Who on Earth would be texting her this late at night - she bet it was that damn Usui-

 _Hello, little Maid. I still have your picture - would you like me to show it to everyone? I'll be waiting outside when you're ready. T_

Misaki physically recoiled at the message that appeared on the small screen and dropped the phone back on the desk. Startled, she stood and only just managed to catch her chair before it clattered to the floor behind her. Her heart raced as she righted the chair fully and snatched her phone back up.

'Who is this?' she typed, furiously, before pressing send.

She felt her cheeks flush with anger and she began to pace across her bedroom floor, holding her hands against her temples. Who could this be? Usui - no, she knew he owned a picture of her. Plus, he'd saved it from being seen once before, she knew he wouldn't show it to anyone. Who else - Aoi? One of those three idiots? Her phone buzzed at the side of her head, so she quickly brought it down to eye level.

 _A fellow President._

Misaki's stomach turned. It was Tora Igarashi, the Student President from Miyabigaoka. The man who had been invading her dreams consistently for the past few months. She turned her head to the side and peered back out of the window at the expensive-looking car. Panic filled her head - he was waiting outside. Her thoughts drifted back to the first time she encountered him.

' _This should be enough. But if you want more you're going to have to do something a little more entertaining.'_

And last time - he kissed her. Anger flared in her chest. The bastard still had the picture of her in her work uniform, didn't he? In truth, the Igarashi Heir confused her. He was a despicable man, she loathed everything he stood for and yet - there was something else. He must have intrigued her in some way, or else why would she so often wake in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, his voice ringing in her ears. Her phone rattled again.

 _Come outside, Maid. Don't keep your Master waiting._

Misaki almost screamed at her phone. The audacity, the impudence - how dare he? The brunette drew in a deep breath and turned to the window. She stomped across the room and angrily drew the curtains across the glass, blocking the car from sight. Before turning away, she noted that the headlights were now off and the engine seemed to be settled. Her heart was beating so fast and for a moment, she thought to message Usui, though she soon cast the thought away. This was something she had to deal with herself, she shouldn't have to rely on him for anything. She had to get the picture back but she also didn't wish to see that awful, evil, arrogant, stupid son of a bitc-

A set of knocks on the door downstairs drew her attention.

"What the heck is tha-" she murmured to herself. She was cut off by another knock. It was definitely coming from the front door. The girl groaned and held her head in her hands - it was undoubtedly him. Her mind was racing - what did he want from her? She knew it could be nothing good, why else would he be visiting at nine thirty at night? The knocks ceased for a while, so she crept into the darkened hallway and peered down the stairs. From her crouched position, she could see the outline of someone through the small pane of frosted glass in the door. She swallowed thickly as her phone buzzed again.

 _I'll knock one more time. Open the door or I'll have your picture plastered on every billboard in town._

The girl dropped her phone when the next three knocks rapped against the door. Fear gripped her as she sprinted down the stairs and turned the lock in the front door. But there was nothing else she could do, was there? The students of Seika High School could never be exposed to the truth about her, it would destroy her. Panting slightly, she opened the door gently, screaming internally for never having installed a safety chain.

Tora Igarashi stood just outside, his trademark smirk illuminated by the light from the street lamps. He was dressed to the nines, as usual, in black dress trousers and a navy shirt which was unbuttoned at the collar and rolled up to the elbows. He carried a jacket, which presumably matched his suit trousers and a bottle of wine in the other.

"Are you going to say 'hello Master', or what?" he said, chuckling darkly.

Misaki growled under her breath and clenched the doorknob tighter, trying not to lash out at him instantly. "Give me my picture. Now."

"Say please," he responded, his smirk dropping slightly. Though he still hadn't moved any further toward her, she remained tense.

The girl grit her teeth together tightly. "Please."

He cocked his head to the side, giving her a coy smile. "Please what?"

It took all her power not to hit him straight in his smug face. "Please give me my picture."

The blonde sighed and moved, shoving her backward so that he could step over the threshold. Misaki yelped as she was sent toppling to the floor and quickly scrambled to her feet when she heard the door slam shut. The hallway was now cast into a state of darkness, the only source of light coming from her bedroom upstairs. It was enough to see the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Get out!" Misaki shouted, holding her hands out in front of her and balling them into fists. "Other people are home-"

"No-one else is home," he replied, scoffing. "Don't take me for an idiot."

She shot him a glare. "Get out, regardless."

The man tutted and moved closer, placing the bottle down on the sideboard in the hall. He carelessly dropped his coat on the floor next to her.

"Don't you want your picture first?" he asked.

"Of course I do, you idiot!" she snapped, stepping back as he advanced. "Just give it to me and get out!"

"You're more dense than I thought, Misaki," Tora chided. "Did you really think I would just give it to you? Especially after you thought it pertinent to throw a drink in my face the last time we saw each other."

The girl drew in a sharp breath, the same anxiety as before tightening her chest. Her stomach turned when she saw his expression and the two of them stood in silence for a moment before she finally found the courage to speak.

"You deserved that and you know it!" she exclaimed. "What do you want?"

He lurched forward, grabbing her forearms with his hands. She flinched at the sudden contact and started to fight back but soon found herself thrown roughly against the wall behind her. Tora pressed his hands onto the wall beside her head and one of his knees forced itself between her legs. Misaki yelped as she felt his thigh pressing against her pelvic area and his chest crush over hers. He covered her so completely that she found it impossible to move. Her mind thought back to their last encounter, how he had forced her into the same position, how he had the same perverse smirk on his lips.

"Such a feisty little thing, aren't you?" Tora chuckled as she pushed her hands against his chest. "I thought maids were supposed to be submissive?"

"I'm not your maid!" Misaki snapped, angrily.

"What lengths would you go to to keep your secret, I wonder?" he asked, aloud. He peered down at her and leaned closer, laughing lightly as she turned her head away from him. "Would you sing a song for me?"

"What?" Misaki replied, confused. She trembled when she felt his breath on her skin and jerked her head as far to the side as she could. Her pulse started to race, not out of panic, but due to something she daren't think about.

"Would you wait on me hand and foot if I asked?" Tora murmured.

Misaki tensed when she felt his forehead press against her temple and his lips brush her cheek. He was far too close for comfort but she still couldn't push the bastard off - he was stronger than he looked. She felt him smile against her skin and his lips moved close to her ear.

"Would you fuck me?"

 _Beg._

The girl spluttered and shook her head rapidly from side to side, forcing him to withdraw slightly. She made a series of loud exclamations and started to kick her legs, trying to lever him away from her. The man sighed irritably and rolled his eyes.

"Let me go now, asshole!" she growled, almost baring her teeth at him. She was furious and the strange feeling in her stomach was frightening her, causing further panic. "How dare you suggest such things?"

Tora smiled wickedly at her. "Keep thrashing around like that, it feels good."

Instantly, Misaki stilled her movements and fixed him with a severe glare. "You're sick."

"You're no fun," the blonde snickered. He moved one of his arms and gripped her chin in his fingers. "So, how far would you go to keep your secret?"

"I-I certainly wouldn't do-"

"So you wouldn't mind Seika High School and all the others in the area for that matter knowing about your part-time job?" he taunted, clenching her face tighter. Misaki grunted in pain and placed a hand against his shoulder, trying to push him away. "You would be bound to lose their respect, wouldn't you? Especially the boys you've worked so hard to keep under your thumb. Heh, perhaps some might like it, though I can't imagine that being the kind of attention you would like."

Misaki gave one final push using all the force she could muster and finally Tora stumbled back a few steps. The man frowned at her and grit his teeth together, causing his jawbone to protrude beneath the skin of his cheek. He didn't like not getting what he wanted, it wasn't something he was used to.

"Of course I don't want anyone to find out about my job, idiot," the girl stated, the anger in her voice tinged with sadness.

"Are you ashamed?" Tora asked.

Misaki shook her head. "That's not it. People have this image of what a maid is and it's not congruous with who I actually am. The two need to remain separate for all this to work. If one drifts too far into the other this could all blow up and I could fail."

Tora observed her quietly, placing his hands into his trouser pockets. "Heart-wrenching."

Misaki balked at his bluntness and scowled. "Look, a rich asshole like you would never be able to understand! Now give me the picture before I kick your ass."

"We both know that isn't going to happen," he replied, callously. "You know what I want, so-"

"No I don't!" she said, exasperated. "What do you want in return for the picture?"

"Are you that dense?" Tora laughed. He fixed her gaze and raised a sculpted brow. "I already asked."

Misaki felt her cheeks flush and she started to ramble, trying to buy time to try and figure out a plan. "No you didn't, you said a bunch of hypothetical questions and no direct st-"

"Fine," he snapped, a bored look on his face. The man took a few steps toward her again and she cursed the wall that stopped her from fleeing. He bent at the waist so he was at her height, looking her dead in the eye. "Fuck me and I'll keep your secret, Maid."

Misaki's breath hitched and for a moment she was too shocked to move. It was only when Tora placed a hand on her cheek that she flinched and batted him away.

"What do you, I-I mean - why?" she mumbled, confused. "Why would you want to do that?"

"For the same reason I do everything," Tora chuckled and his mouth twisted into an evil grin. "It would be fun."

"It's not right, you c-can't play around with people like this," she stammered, obviously nervous. "This is blackmail!"

"I'm giving you a choice, aren't I?" he replied, standing upright again.

"It's a Hobson's choice and you know it, you piece of shit!" Misaki fumed, stamping her foot.

Tora merely laughed at her anger, infuriating her further. How could he ask such a thing of her, it was unthinkable!

"An impossible choice is no choice at all, that's what they say isn't it?" he responded, lightly.

"Exactly," she said, scowling. "This isn't fair."

"You know, your reluctance is a little hurtful-"

Tora's words were cut off when Misaki laid a hard slap down on his face. The man recoiled with a loud yelp, clutching his cheek with one hand. He looked back up at her angrily, rubbing the red skin beneath his fingers.

"Don't you dare feign insult, you asshole!" she said, her voice quivering. When she looked back up at him he saw something other than anger in her eyes. _Intrigue._ He smirked to himself - _good._

"You've got some nerve, hitting me like that," he hissed, narrowing his golden eyes. "Slapping the heir to the Igarashi Conglomerate, chucking a drink over me, tsk tsk. Don't get too big for your boots, Maid."

"My name is Misaki," the girl retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. She observed Tora in angry silence, tapping her fingertips against her elbow.

"So, _Misaki_ , make your impossible choice," he smiled, enjoying her discomfort at the way he drawled her name.

"I-" she began. She paused and chewed on her lower lip, as she always did when she was nervous. "What are your terms?"

Tora's eyes shone and his smile widened with glee. He was enjoying this, she could tell. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to stop squirming under his gaze - she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Unexpected," he murmured, softly. The blonde ran a hand through his hair, letting the silken strands fall through his fingers around his face. "What would Usui say?"

Her stomach twisted at the mention of her friend - no, acquaintance! - and she felt like she might throw up. She thought back to the moment Usui watched her and Tora speaking in the hallway of Seika High, with obvious jealousy in his green eyes. He knew how desperately she wanted to keep her secret. Her chest hurt. She dismissed the feeling as frustration it and hung her head. Tora approached her and yanked toward him her by the arm. Misaki let out a grunt as she collided with his chest and immediately glared back up at him.

"One night is all I require," he said, his voice low and dangerous. He raised his hand to her cheek and laid it there softly. The gentle touch seemed as painful to her as the slap she had delivered to him. "You never know, you might have as much _fun_ as I do."

"You're such a piece of shit, Igarashi-"

She raised a hand to slap him again but he caught her wrist before it could land. The sound of his laughter echoed around her and she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"Don't speak like that to your betters, Maid," he hissed. His eyes were bright as he watched her struggle. He was amused. "Or they will have to punish you."

A shiver ran down her spine as he spoke, his tone so close to that which murmured filth into her sleeping ears. He released her carelessly, pushing her to the other side of the hall. One of her feet fell into a small hole in the floorboards, causing her to trip and crash to the floor.

"Tsk, clumsy," Tora stared down at her uncaringly. He crouched down on the balls of his feet and rested his forearms on his thighs. "One night. I can do with you as I please."

Misaki's eyes widened. "As you please?"

"I promise you'll be in one piece in the morning," he laughed, sending her a wink. "Though I can't promise I won't be a _little_ rough."

The man stood up and placed his hands back in his pockets as Misaki continued to stare at the ground, her heart still racing from his request.

"After that I'll give you your picture and the USB stick containing the digital copy. You have my word these are the only copies of that picture," he explained, voice suddenly clipped and business-like.

"W-why should I trust you?"

"Because it wouldn't serve me to lie to you, Misaki," he replied, chuckling lightly. "Not in this instance."

The girl glared at him but realised he was speaking the truth, for once. "Your true face is very ugly, Igarashi."

"So you think my false face is attractive?" he asked, smugly.

Misaki shook her head frantically and frowned when her cheeks began to heat up. "You're a disgusting snake, through and through."

"Oh, Misaki, you wound me!" the man gasped, sarcastically feigning insult. He turned away from her and picked his suit jacket up from the floor. "I'll give you until tomorrow evening to decide."

"T-Tomorrow?" she repeated. She climbed to her feet shakily, leaning against the sideboard for support.

"Yes, to-mor-row," he stated, drawing out his words to make her appear stupid. "I will be waiting for you after your shift at Maid Latte. If you comply, tell your Mother you'll be staying at a friend's house - I'm sure a liar as fine as you can manage that - and we will drive to my place. It's much nicer than this dump."

Misaki growled, balling her hands into fists. "And if I refuse to fu- to spend the night with you?"

Tora looked back at her and swung his jacket over his shoulder. He flashed her a faux-friendly smile, showing his oddly pointed teeth. "Well then, my little Maid, you know what'll happen."

She shivered at the underlying threat in his words. He walked toward the door, turning back to her one final time before heading off into the night.

"And Misaki?"

"What?"

"Keep the maid outfit on. I like it."

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her alone in the darkness. She stayed still for a moment, until she heard the sound of an engine roaring to life and the gentle scraping of tires as they pulled away from the pavement. It grew quiet, save for the gentle sound of rain starting to fall outside until she let out an irritated groan and dropped to her knees.

"This isn't fair, this isn't fair," she repeated, over and over. "I hate him, I hate him, _I HATE HIM!_ "

She leaned back against the sideboard, resting her head gently against the wood. Rain started to patter against the roof, filling the house with a pleasant sound, though it did little to soothe her. Somewhere between her dreams and reality, she had thought about what it might have been like to be with Tora. He was handsome, that was undeniable, and he challenged her enough for her to find him appealing. In an odd way, she thought, she found his arrogance quite attractive. But these were just passing thoughts - she shook her head in disbelief - how did this happen? She couldn't tell if she was angrier at the blackmail, or the fact that a small part of her was excited. Misaki slammed her fist down on the floor three times, letting out a noise of exasperation. _Fuck. Off. Igarashi._

After a pause, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked the screen. His name was there, in her messages - _Usui._ He was one of the few who knew her secret, he was probably one of the only people who could offer some advice in this situation, wasn't he? Misaki sighed - she hated asking for help. Still, Tora was a sly man and she doubted he wouldn't try to trick her in some way. She pushed herself to her feet and hastily locked the front door before she climbed back up the staircase toward the light that was coming from her bedroom. With an exhausted sigh, she sat down on her bed. Perhaps she could ask for an outside opinion, just this once. She should at least let someone know the situation for the sake of her own safety.

With great reluctance, she typed out a message to Usui.

'Sorry for the late text. Are you awake?'

Barely two minutes passed before her phone buzzed with his reply.

 _I'm awake._

'That was fast.'

 _I was excited to see your name pop up on my screen, Misa x_

'Sycophant.'

 _I doubt you're texting me just to chat. What's up?_

Misaki hesitated, biting her lip. Was this the right thing to do? She swallowed and thought of the smirk on Tora's face. Before she could answer, another message from Usui arrived.

 _Could you send me a picture of you in your maid outfit? It's late and I'm bored ;) xx_

She squawked at his teasing and blushed furiously.

'Absolutely not! This is serious!'

 _Serious, huh? I'm listening._

'Tora Igarashi stopped by my house tonight while I was alone.'

'He has a picture of me at work and I need to get it back.'

There was a long pause before Usui replied, which worried her.

 _I'm coming over._

'What?! NO!'

-0-

Barely half an hour later, she heard a knock at her door. Misaki dropped her pen and pushed her chair away from the desk. She paused, her stomach turning uneasily.

 _I'm at your door, Pres. x_

She descended the stairs quickly and jerked open the door, almost tripping over the doormat in the process. Usui stood in the same spot the Igarashi Heir had only a short time before and she couldn't help but notice the differences between them at that moment. Though Usui wore a pair of dress trousers and a light blue shirt, they were mussed, far from the perfectly ironed, pin-straight Tora. His blonde hair was darker, messier. His eyes were kind, as was the small smile on his face. Misaki frowned - he was soaked to the skin from the heavy rainfall.

"Pres," he greeted.

"You're soaked."

"Can I come in?"

Misaki pursed her lips. "I did tell you not to come over, you know?"

"Always so grateful," he tutted. He held up one arm and she noticed that he was carrying a plastic bag. "I brought food."

She narrowed her eyes skeptically. "What is it?"

"Fish and chips."

"A throwback from your English heritage, Usui?"

The man smiled at her and took a step forward. She was surprised to find how easily she let him cross the threshold. She was surprised when she closed the door and locked it behind her. She turned back to him and was surprised by the warmth that radiated from his presence.

"Let's go into the dining room," she said, marching past him.

Her panicked heart had settled since his arrival. It disturbed her slightly, how at ease she felt with him. The atmosphere between them was different, more comforting, than the tension she felt with Tora. He placed the bag down on the table and turned his head around to find that she had left the room.

"Uh, Misaki? Where did you go?"

She reappeared that second and threw a towel at him, which he deftly caught. "Dry off before you catch a damn cold."

Usui smiled sweetly at her and ruffled his hair with the towel. She felt her cheeks flush, so she turned away from him.

"The food comes in these little polystyrene boxes, so we don't need plates. Got any cutlery?"

Misaki turned back to him, holding two dinner plates in one hand and two sets of cutlery in the other. "We're eating off plates, Usui. We're not animals."

He chuckled and removed his shoes, placing them near the door to the hallway. "Maybe not you."

"Don't be such a weirdo."

They ate in peace; Misaki pleasantly pleased with the odd taste of the food he had brought, Usui simply enjoying her company. When she reached for a drink of water, he placed down his fork and looked at her seriously.

"What did he want?" he asked, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands.

Misaki gulped down her water nervously. She knew asking for help was a bad idea. "I-"

"Talk to me for once, Misaki. It takes a lot for someone like you to express concern with anything. It must have been something serious for you to message me. Especially me."

The girl sighed and placed her glass back on the table. She sucked in a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the courage to speak.

"Well, it's hard to explain. He has my picture, as I mentioned, and he wants me to do something in order to get it back-"

"That guy is a piece of work," he said. His gaze rose back to hers and he leaned closer. "What did he want? No bullshit, Misaki."

"He-" she hesitated, looking away from his intense stare. "He wants me to...spend the night at his house."

"I said no bullshitting."

"Fine!" she gasped, exasperated. She looked at her clenched fists. "He said he wants to fuck me. Otherwise he'll paste my picture on every billboard from here to Tokyo."

Usui visibly winced. The usually calm man banged his fist down on the table, causing her to flinch.

"Asshole," he hissed. "Fucking asshole."

"What do I do?" she asked weakly. "I don't want my secret getting out but-"

"You don't have to do anything with that man," Usui replied, scowling at the thought of him. "I'll speak with him."

"And how will that help?" Misaki replied, irritably. "He'll still have the picture."

Usui gave her a charming smile, though she could still see anger in his eyes. "Then I'll just have to kick his ass until he gives it back."

"Don't talk to him, Usui," she retorted, stabbing a chip with her fork. "This is obviously something I need to sort out on my own."

In the dark, hidden recesses of her mind, she began to feel guilty about her dreams.

-0-

"And what brings you to the Student President's Office today, Mr Takami Usui?" Tora asked, looking up from the papers on his desk. He checked his watch - six thirty. The other boy must have come straight to Miyabigaoka to catch him before the end of Misaki's shift.

Usui stood a few metres away, hands in his pockets and a deathly glare on his face. "I want the pictures you have of Misaki."

Tora chuckled and pushed the papers away. He leaned back in his chair and loosened the top two buttons of his shirt. "Maki?"

The dark-haired student poked his head through the door. "Yes, Sir?"

"Get us a couple of drinks," he ordered. Maki nodded and ducked out of the room again, shutting the door gently behind him. Tora looked back to Usui and gave him an unsettling smile. "I have already informed Miss Ayuzawa as to how she can obtain said pictures. Did she ask you to come?"

"No, she told me not to. In fact she doesn't know I'm here," Usui replied, coldly. "I'll pay whatever you want for them."

Tora rested his cheek on his knuckles. "Yes, of course you could. I always forget that, despite appearances, we are very similar. Aren't we, _Mr Walker_?"

Usui visibly stiffened at the use of his last name. Since when did Igarashi know about that? "We are nothing alike."

"Perhaps not in style," Tora chided, looking the other man up and down. "But we are both from affluent families, we pride ourselves on our intelligence and strength-"

"Sir," Maki called, from the doorway. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I have your drinks."

"Set them on the table and get out," Tora responded, coolly. Maki placed a tray down on the table beside Usui and bowed out of the room as quickly and neatly as possible.

Tora rose from his chair and rounded the desk. He stopped next to Usui and began pouring two glasses of scotch. When they were both full, he picked them both up and raised one to his lips.

"We both want to fuck Misaki Ayuzawa."

The green eyed man turned his head to look at the other, trying his best to control the fury that was raging inside of him. "You don't get to touch her - ever."

"I get to do whatever I want," Tora replied, lazily. He sipped the scotch and offered the other to Usui, who was still staring at him incredulously. "Take it."

"You're lucky I haven't snapped your neck already, Igarashi."

"I gave her a choice," Tora answered, lightly. "It's entirely up to her."

"Give me the pictures," Usui snapped, temper breaking. "Or-"

"Or what?" Tora laughed, shoving the glass into Usui's chest, forcing him to take it. "You're gonna hit me? See if I care, I still won't give them to you. And you'll probably end up being arrested, or at least exposed for who you really are, Mr Walker."

"I won't resort to violence that easily. Hence why I haven't already floored you for blackmailing Misaki," Usui breathed out roughly, trying to control himself. He wanted to smash his glass into the other man's smug face at that moment. "What do you want, what will make you hand them over?"

The arrogant man took a long drink then wiped his lips with his sleeve. He locked eyes with Usui and smirked. "I want to fuck Misaki's sweet little mouth and make her cum."

At first Usui was too shocked by his vulgarity to move. The glass of brandy slipped from between his shaking fingers and shattered on the polished wooden floor. After a moment of silence, he reached out with one hand and slapped Tora's face hard. The other man didn't stop laughing, even after the hit.

"You're not going to do anything to her," he growled, stepping toward Tora. Glass crunched beneath his shoes. He grabbed ahold of the other's collar and yanked him forward, mind raging at his constant laughter. "I won't let you."

"Really?" Tora chuckled. He smiled widely, revealing his sharp teeth. "I'm _sure_ she would love it if you made that choice for her."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you playing around with her like this? What is Misaki to you?" Usui cried, his fist clenching tighter around the other man's collar.

"I get bored easily and I have to have fun somehow, don't I? I find her amusing," he replied. "She's spirited and I like that. Besides, have you considered that she might want to? I've already kissed her twice."

Usui looked at him with disdain, shaking his head slightly. "You're insane."

Tora grinned darkly. "Only a little."

Usui stood stock still, uncertain of how to proceed. Perhaps he should just beat the other man senseless - but what good would it do? Tora was so intent on his plan that he doubted he would give the pictures up, even if he broke every bone in his body. His attention was brought back when Tora placed his hands over the ones that held his collar. Usui looked down at him and was confused by the expression on his face - he looked almost _hungry._

"I know you're only protecting Misaki because you want the little maid all to yourself," Tora said, laughter in his voice. "It's such a shame that she's too dense to see how much you want her."

"I-"

"How about I cut you a deal, Tamaki?" Tora offered, leaning closer to him. "I'll give you the pictures back and I'll help you with Misaki. See, I can be kind."

"What do you want in return?" Usui replied, suspiciously.

Tora gave him a wide smile. Without warning, the man leaned forward and pressed his lips against the other's. Usui flinched and dropped Tora's collar, then pushed him back into the table.

"What the fuck was that?" he snapped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Entertainment," Tora retorted. "Thinking about it, it would be a lot more fun with you there. I'd love to see the hatred in your eyes."

"You can't be serious?" Usui gasped, shaking his head.

"It would be fun, wouldn't it?" Tora commented. "You could even join in, if you wanted. She could wear her maid costume, I know you would like that-"

"Shut up!" Usui shouted, running a hand through his hair. "That isn't going to happen."

"Suit yourself," Tora replied. The smile dropped from his face and was replaced by a severe glare. "Now, run back and tell her. I'll be dropping by Maid Latte in a couple of hours to hear her decision."

He gave Usui a wink. "I know she'll make the right choice."

-0-

Usui leaned back against the alley wall and let out a deep sigh. Misaki had been ranting for well over ten minutes and he'd lost all sense of what she was saying. The cafe manager had noticed her flustered state and told her to leave a little early, so the two of them were now stood in the alleyway behind Maid Latte. Misaki was still wearing her uniform but had removed her headdress and covered her dress with a mid-thigh length coat.

"Are you even listening to me?" she shouted, slamming her hands down on the trashcan next to her.

He looked down at her seriously. "I'm sorry, Misa. I was trying to help-"

"You went to see him!" she shouted, running her hands through her hair. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

She let out an aggravated growl and covered her face with her hands. Usui wanted to hold her more than anything at that moment but he knew touching her at this moment would only annoy her further.

"You never listen," she whispered, voice buffered by her hands.

Usui drew in a deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall. He took two steps closer to her and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise, she didn't flinch away from him.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, Misa," he began, quietly. "But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if people found out about your job."

"Are you kidding?" she snapped, removing her hands from her face. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if everyone at Seika High loses their respect for me? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if people fetishize me as some sort of submissive cosplayer? Perhaps it wouldn't be so fucking bad if every school, not just Seika, but every school thinks of me as a maid?"

"I didn't-"

"You don't fucking think, do you Usui? Do you really believe I would even consider it if I didn't want to keep this a secret?" Misaki barked, clenching her fists at her side.

"Then - what will you do?" he asked, gripping her shoulder tighter.

"I-I don't know," she exclaimed. "I really don't know what to do."

Usui sighed and removed his hand from her shoulder, letting to fall at his side. "Well..."

"Well?" she asked, glaring at him.

"I don't want you to do this, Ayuzawa," he stammered, nervously. He looked down at the floor, away from her deathly stare. "But I know this isn't my decision to make. Be careful, keep your phone on and call me if you need me."

"Excuse me?"

"And, um, make sure that he stays in line," he said, awkwardly. The man back up at her unhappily.

Misaki blinked twice, dumbfounded. "Stays in line?"

"Don't let him do anything, uh, that you don't - what I mean is-"

"I get it Usui, thanks," she replied, bluntly.

The man rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. Misaki sighed - he was only trying to help, there was no point in being angry at him anymore.

"What time is it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh, five to eight."

"Great," she groaned. "He'll be here soon."

"He's here now," a familiar voice called.

Misaki and Usui turned their heads toward the sound and saw Tora Igarashi standing at the end of the alleyway. Already, he had a smug look on his face. It was the look of victory.

"You covered up the maid outfit, what a shame," he complained, walking toward them. He shot Misaki an evil smile. "Never mind, we can get rid of the coat later."

The girl tensed as he stopped a few feet from them and Usui unconsciously moved closer to her.

"Tora," she greeted, voice hard.

"Have you come to a decision, _Misa_?" he asked.

Misaki's stomach turned at his use of her nickname. The way he said it made it sound dirty, not like when Usui used it. Her gaze slid to look at the man beside her. He was glaring at the other blonde and he seemed so tense he was shaking slightly. _Be careful._ She looked back at Tora. Would it be that bad if she were alone with him? She fretted that deep down, she might actually want to be.

"I'll do it" she muttered, quietly.

"Sorry, didn't hear you," he replied. She swallowed thickly - he had obviously heard her, he just wanted to enjoy this as much as he could.

"I'll do it," she repeated, louder.

"Misaki," Usui murmured, concerned evident in his tone. The girl couldn't bring herself to look at him, so she hung her head and looked at the pavement.

Tora chuckled, the laugh barely more than a deep rumble in his chest. "Good choice."

"You asshole," Usui hissed, under his breath.

"Tsk, not very nice, are we Takumi?" Tora berated. He reached out and grabbed Misaki's hand, pulling her close to him. Usui froze when he wrapped a hand around her waist. "We are going to have such fun."

Misaki began to push him away but paused when his smile dropped and he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't disobey me, little Maid," he warned, squeezing her waist tightly. "Not tonight."

"Don't call her that," Usui ordered. He looked at Misaki, eyes silently pleading. "Please, Misa, you don't have to do this. People will understand, they'll-

"You put too much faith in people, don't you Takumi?" Tora chided. He span the girl around so she faced Usui directly and draped his arms over her shoulders possessively. Misaki took one look at Usui's desperate expression and avoided further eye contact.

"Misa, please-"

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Tora taunted. Misaki looked up at Usui, who was staring wide-eyed back at her. Why did he care so much, she asked herself. "It's not like you two are an item, right?"

"I-" Usui began, voice trailing off.

Tora smirked at the other man, then gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, we should get going while the night is still young. There's a _lot_ to be done this evening."

Misaki shivered at his tone. Tora's arms released her and heard him walking back down the alley, toward his waiting car. She looked at Usui and raised a hand toward him. He hesitated, his eyes downcast, then gently took ahold of it. Misaki gave him a weak smile and squeezed his hand.

"Look, I - sorry," she said, quietly. Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

"Why?" he asked, his eyes softening. "You don't have to be sorry."

"I don't know why, Usui," she muttered. She sucked in a breath and gathered the courage to speak the truth. Her next sentence was rambled quickly, so fast he almost didn't hear. "Please remember that Tora Igarashi doesn't mean anything to me. Not, um, not like you- uh, I'm sor-"

"Before you say sorry - don't," Usui said, ruffling her hair. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. It was only brief and so light she barely felt the warmth from his skin before he was gone. The man grinned reassuringly, though she could see the hurt in his eyes. "I'll see you first thing in the morning. We'll get breakfast."

Usui laid a hand on her cheek, though he quickly removed it when Tora turned on his heel and strode back toward Misaki. He took hold of her wrist and wrenched her toward him, frowning at the other man.

"Let's go, Miss Ayuzawa," he said, sharply. Usui was concerned by the underlying anger in his usually playful tone.

Misaki glanced at Usui again and gulped nervously. He gave her a weak smile, a nod and closed his eyes. Though his heart was greatly pained, he knew he had no claim on her life or her decisions. Misaki hadn't asked for this, he knew she craved simplicity. Though he was unhappy with her choice, she had been presented with two damning options. Usui had no right to make that decision - what was he to her? The most he could do in this situation was support her as best he could.

-0-

Igarashi Mansion was as opulent as expected. Tora's room was enormous. A large lounge was the first thing they encountered, the furthest wall of which was split into three separate cells. One seemed to contain a bedroom, the other a study-cum-games room and the final cell was blocked out of sight by a heavy wooden door - rather strange, considering the openness of the others. Much like the rest of the house, the furniture was ornate, ancient and dark in colour. The carpets were a deep, luxurious red and bizarre artwork hung from the walls. In the centre of the lounge was a large table upon which sat an ashtray and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Like its occupant, the room smelt faintly of expensive cigarettes and cologne.

Tora shrugged off his coat and threw it over a chair as he entered the room. He turned briefly to shut the door behind him, then looked back to his guest. Slowly, he approached Misaki, grinning down at her eagerly.

"Help yourself to a drink," he said, coolly, jerking his head toward the table.

"Uh - sure," Misaki replied.

"Try not to throw it in my face this time."

"Oh - there's only one glass," she remarked, holding it up.

Tora chuckled and smirked at her. "Then just get one for me. It's probably too rich for your commoner's palate anyway."

Misaki glared at him and her hand shot out to slap him. This time, Tora caught her wrist and tutted at her as if she were a child.

"Bad girl," he chided, bending down so that he could look her in the eye. Her heart began to race and she swallowed, confused by the way her heart began to race. She wasn't certain if it was caused by apprehension or - more worryingly - excitement. "Not the kind of behaviour one expects from their maid."

"I am not your maid," Misaki snapped. "And my name is Misaki!"

"My deepest apologies, Misaki." The blonde snickered at her anger and released her wrist . He nodded toward the bedroom. "Follow me."

His bedroom was just as lush as the rest of his quarters. The walls were covered in bookcases, each shelf stuffed to the brim with books. Tora strode over to the enormous bed and extended a hand toward Misaki. The blonde gazed at her, a smug expression plastered on his handsome face.

"Get your ass over here."

Misaki hesitated, her heart racing.

"I-," she said, nervously. "What are you going to do?."

"Now, telling you would spoil the fun, don't you think? Plus, you agreed to do anything I want," Tora reminded her. "Unless you'd like to change your mind, Maid?"

He placed emphasis on the last word intentionally, forcing her to think about her situation. She approached Tora slowly, running on hand over her other arm as a comforting gesture.

"One night," she stated, looking back at him. "And after this I want no further business with you. No more rumors, nothing."

"I would be only too happy to oblige." Tora smiled playfully. He rolled his eyes at her hesitation and lowered his hand as he approached her. "Take off your coat."

"My- oh!" she replied, shaking her head to bring herself out of her daydream. With shaking hands she unbuttoned her coat and slipped it off her shoulders, revealing her Maid Latte uniform. Tora's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Um, where do I put it?"

Tora waved his hand in the direction of a chair, so she laid her coat gently over the back. When she looked up, her reflection stared back at her from a long mirror on the wall. She paused, gazing at her uniform. When she first started at Maid Latte, she had almost been too embarrassed to wear the maid costume but now it felt natural. It felt normal. Misaki sighed - she felt comfortable as a maid and as a Student President. Was it possible for both facets of her life to continue to co-exist separately? Her thoughts were disrupted when she felt hands grip her shoulders. Fingertips stroked where her skin was exposed and the sensation sent a shiver down her spine. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other snaked into her hair and tugged it down softly, allowing his lips access to the base of her throat. His kisses were uncharacteristically gentle, so she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the feeling. He made a trail up to the back of her ear, barely skimming the sensitive skin. Misaki's heart pounded loudly in her chest as she pictured Usui behind her closed eyes.

The hand in her hair clenched and twisted the dark strands painfully. Misaki's eyes flew open and ended the mirage of Usui. In the reflection of the mirror, she could see Tora standing flush behind her, his lips still pressed against the skin at the back of her ear. She shivered when a dark smirk stretched across his face.

"Keep your eyes open," he ordered, breath hitting her cheek. The grip on her hair loosened slightly, much to her relief, and the hand on her waist slid lower, until it rested on her hip. "I want you to watch."

"I - ah!" Misaki cried out. Tora's mouth had descended again, this time to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. However, instead of a soft kiss as before, he bit down and his strange, sharp canines broke through her skin. A rush of adrenaline hit and she arched away from him. It was a strange sensation, slightly painful but not wholly unpleasant. After a moment he drew back and lapped at the puncture wounds with his tongue, sending shivers down her spine. She drew in a deep breath and looked back up at the mirror to see him staring back.

"Interesting reaction," he commented, releasing his hold on her.

Misaki frowned and raised a hand to her shoulder, wincing when she prodded the sore area. "Nothing interesting about it."

Tora laughed and waltzed back to the bed. On the way, he shed his shirt and let it flutter to the floor, prompting Misaki to turn away from the mirror to face him. He had a similar figure to Usui, she noticed, lean yet muscular. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and jerked his head at her. She grimaced at the sight of her blood drying around the corners of his mouth but wasn't entirely surprised that biting was one of his perversions.

"Now," he said, smoothly. "Get on your knees in front of me."

She took in a deep breath, then slowly moved to the bed and knelt in front of him. It was evident what he wanted her to do in this position. Unable to bring herself to look at him, she stared at the floor and grit her teeth together when she heard his belt buckle click. He jammed his fingers under her chin and forced her to look up. His cat-like eyes were bright with amusement.

"Are you a virgin, _Misa_?" he asked, coyly.

She tried to look away but he held her chin tighter. "No."

Tora hummed thoughtfully. "Unexpected. Still, at least you'll have some idea of what to do."

He released her, savouring the furious expression on her face. The man relaxed back on his hands and cocked his head.

"Well, get to it."

Misaki drew in a short breath and reached forward tentatively, unbuttoning his trousers with shaking hands. She could feel Igarashi staring down at her as she freed his cock from his boxers and gripped it in one hand. He was larger than she imagined. The man groaned quietly when she began to pump her hand slowly up and down. He shuddered slightly and let his head fall back when she picked up the pace.

"T-that's good," he murmured, gripping the bed sheets tightly in his hands.

The woman squeezed his shaft tighter and used her free hand to stroke his balls softly. This elicited a strong reaction from Tora, whose elbows buckled, causing him to fall back on his forearms **.** Misaki got a strange rush watching him, at that moment he looked vulnerable. His face was twisted into a look of bliss - compared with his usual, hateful expression, it was rather attractive. She wanted to make him crumble beneath her, so she raised her head and placed her lips around the head of his cock.

"Ah- fuck, yes," he moaned, beginning to pant. "That's-"

He laid back flat on the bed and his hands through his hair. Her mouth was so warm and wet, it felt incredible. When she rolled her tongue as she sucked up and down his length, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Slowly, he leaned back up and looked down at her, wanting to see her lips around him. He didn't expect to see her staring back at him, eyes bright with victory.

"Ngh, fuck!" Tora grunted, gripping Misaki's hair tightly in his hands as he came. The girl stayed still until his hands left her head. Tora fell back against the covers and ran his hands over his face, ecstatic. "How - fuck, you are very good that that."

Misaki spat the contents of her mouth on the floor and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Tora sat up and redid his trousers, breathing heavily. The man pulled her up by her collar and laid back, dragging her onto his chest. He spun them round, so he was positioned between her legs with his arms on either side of her head.

"Since you were so good, I suppose I should reward you."

"I doubt you have the ability, Igarashi," she replied, venom lacing her tone.

Tora chuckled and leaned down so he could kiss her. She squealed into his mouth, surprised by his sudden movement, and pushed against his chest angrily until he moved back.

"Be good, little Maid," he taunted, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "It will be fun to have you scream for me."

"I _highly_ doubt you have the ability, Igarashi," she replied, baring her teeth.

The blonde chuckled and leaned back slightly so that he could run and hand up her thigh. "Don't speak too soon, Misa."

She stiffened as his hand gripped her leg and his mouth descended to her shoulder. The man licked and sucked the puncture marks he had created, moaning gruffly at the taste of her blood on his tongue. Misaki closed her eyes and relaxed into the oddly pleasant sensations his kisses were causing her.

 _How would Usui start, I wonder?_

Tora's hand crept up further and stroked the thin cloth that covered her centre. Misaki gasped and her back arched into him. He smirked and planted his lips back on hers.

 _Usui would take his time, wouldn't he? He would want me to feel good._

The blonde thrust his tongue into her mouth and she let out a surprised squeak. She felt him smile as he kissed her. Tora's hand gripped her cunt tightly for a moment, then he released her and his fingers slipped below the fabric of her underwear. Misaki lost herself in her imagination and the haze of arousal.

 _Perhaps he would kiss every part of her, perhaps he would tease her._

For someone as predictably rough as Tora, he took his time sliding her underwear down her legs. She shivered when his fingers trailed up her thighs and stroked the outer lips of her cunt.

 _Tease her, yes, undoubtedly. But in reality he would do whatever she asked. He would do anything to make her smile._

She sighed softly as he spread her and he began to slide her clit between two of his fingers. The girl took in a deep breath when Tora's mouth gave her a chance. It was getting impossible to silence her voice, not with the way his touches were affecting her. Tora smirked, pleased that her face was starting to flush. He released her from the kiss and whispered darkly in her ear.

"My my, you are so wet already," he rolled his finger over her clit directly and watched her happily as she arched into him. "Thank your Master when you come, Maid."

Misaki let out a gasp when he pushed two fingers inside of her and began to thrust them gently. It felt different, he was curling his fingers when they hit the deepest point and the sensation was incredible. Tora chuckled and shifted his body so he was kneeling between her legs. Her eyes flew open when she felt his tongue flick firmly against her clit.

"Ah!" she moaned, her body twitching as he started to simultaneously thrust his fingers and suck her clit into his mouth. His reached around her thigh with his spare arm and pressed down on her stomach, holding her in place as she writhed under him. Mistakenly, she glanced down at him only to find his golden eyes staring back. The intensity of his gaze was oddly attractive and she berated herself for thinking so. As the pleasure grew stronger, she laid her head back and shut her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in it. Unconsciously, her hands moved to Tora's head and she dug her fingers into his soft hair, scratching her nails across his scalp. The man groaned into her skin as she pulled at his locks, enjoying the feeling, and rolled his tongue harder over her.

"A-ah, fuck!" she cried, gripping Tora's hair roughly. Her legs shook and he felt her walls clench around his fingers. With the image of him in her mind, she couldn't stop Usui's name softly slipping from her lips as she came. Misaki felt Tora's body move back over her torso and opened her eyes to see him leering over her. He leaned down and kissed her throat.

"Such wanton noises you make," he smirked against the skin of her neck and bit it gently. "Say thank you."

"You're disgusting," she groaned, still out of breath from the peak of pleasure.

Tora's smile fell and he removed his hand from inside her, clasping her chin roughly with the same fingers.

"If I'm so repulsive, then why are my fingers soaking?" he hissed, trailing her wetness across her cheeks. He laughed, mockingly at her shocked expression.

Before Misaki had the chance to respond, he flipped her, so she was lying on her front. His fingers pushed into her again, using them as leverage to pull her hips up. She now rested on her knees and begins to raise herself to her elbows, only to have Tora push her chest back to the mattress. She turned her head to one side, eyes wide with panic. His hand remained firmly on her back, not allowing her room to move.

"Head down," he ordered, with a sneer. "Like a good maid should be."

"I'm not-"

She was interrupted by the his voice, low and dangerous, next to her ear. "If I hear his name again, you will regret it."

One hand stayed inside of Misaki, while the other worked his trouser zip. He could barely wait, he needed to take her, he needed to ride this high for as possible. He watched as he pushed his hard length into her, groaning as the tight warmth surrounds him. The smell of the blood still fresh on her shoulder made him harder still. He leaned over her body and bit into the back of her throat, causing another set of puncture marks on her skin. The girl beneath him moaned as he roughly entered her, her face rubbing against the duvet with each stroke. Tora grinned. He laced his hand through her hair and pulled her onto her knees, so her back arched into his chest. Her eyes shut, but her mouth opened when his hand circled her clit and he continued to thrust into her.

"Say my name."

"No," she croaked out, in between groans. Tora shoved into her particularly hard and her eyes popped open. He was as rough as she had dreamed and she could feel pleasure mounting as he pounded into her.

"Say my name, now," he demanded. He removed himself from within her and turned her onto her back, quickly re-entering her as soon as she was in position. Misaki blinked up at him blearily, her hands moving to clutch his forearms as he leaned over her and captured her lips in a frustrated kiss. The sensations started to become overwhelming and she could taste her cum on his tongue as it explored her mouth. She briefly thought of Usui, but Tora was too close. The victorious glint in his eyes was all she could see. All she could hear was the sound of sweat-ridden flesh slapping together and his animalistic moans. He invaded her senses so completely it seemed he wanted to make sure that even when she closed her eyes, _he_ was all she could see. He pinched her clit and drove into her with such force that she clenched around him and her body began to shudder with pleasure. Her hands gripped his upper arms, as if holding on for dear life.

"F-fuck, Tora," she panted, quietly.

With a satisfied smirk, Tora let her exhausted body fall back and he removed his mouth from hers. He grunted a final time and came inside of her, fingers digging into her hips.

He fell beside her, on his back, panting from the exertion. Slowly, he turned his head to the side, observing Misaki silently. She was breathing heavily, eyes focused on the ceiling. The man chuckled and placed his hands behind his head. The night had been fun so far - yes, this idea had been the perfect way to kill boredom. The couple lay beside one another for a while, regaining their breath.

"Give me my pictures" Misaki stated, brusquely. She sat up and pulled her dress down so that it covered her lap.

"Hmm," Tora mused, sitting back upright. He stood and buttoned up his trousers before looking back at her. "No."

"But you said-"

"I said one night, not one round," he laughed, running a hand through his hair. "But I do need a drink, so you can take a break."

Misaki sighed and laced her hands together in her lap. Tora left the room and returned shortly after, holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and another glass in the other. He took at seat next to Misaki and poured the delicate liquid into the flute. The power trip he was having was sublime - he wanted to push it to its limit.

"You know," he chuckled, taking a large gulp of his drink. "I bet Takumi is spitting blood right now."

He was pleased to see her turn to him with panic in her eyes. It was amusing to see a pair so obviously attracted to one another hesitate to make a move. Tora could see anger and shock in her expression - and something else. Something she was clearly trying to clear from her thoughts. _Doubt._ Misaki felt her cheeks flush scarlet. Deep down she knew the true nature of her and Usui's relationship but if she spoke about it, if she revealed her true feelings, then she would lose. Better to be awkward and pretend to hate him than have to confront her confusing feelings. She turned her head to look at Tora, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"He's nothing to do with this," she said, annoyed.

Tora took another large sip of his drink and observed her quietly before placing the glass down on his bedside table. He stood up and reached for his discarded shirt. "Are you that thick?"

"Shut up, Igarashi!" she snapped. He snorted and sauntered past her to pick up his still-full glass which was settled on the table. He offered it to her, observing the contents of the glass. "Why would you care about what stupid Usui thinks anyway?

"When the world is your oyster, after a while it is very hard to find things that are stimulating. I tire of the people who throw themselves at me without knowing who I really am," he explained, watching as she took the glass from him. "A person who hates me is far more fun to play with, so I try to make interesting enemies."

Misaki shook her head, confused by the way his mind worked. She sipped her drink and made a face at the saccharine liquid. It wasn't pleasant.

"Takumi will be a pleasing enemy, I think," Tora continued, seemingly lost in his thoughts. His attention soon snapped back to her. "As will you."

She scowled at him. "Yes, this certainly had made me hate you, so don't worry about that."

Tora laughed happily and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Good. Now, get back over here."

Misaki placed her glass back on the table and tentatively approached him. His shirt was undone and hung loose around his torso, emphasizing the pale muscles of his stomach. It was a shame that he had such an awful personality, as his outward appearance was very attractive. She sighed inwardly.

"Why did you want to do this, Igarashi?" she asked, folding her arms in front of her as she stood in front of him. "You could have made me an enemy in so many other ways."

Tora's smile faltered slightly, then he looked down at his glass and chuckled under his breath. "I found you to be an interesting woman, Misaki. You're not unattractive to me, you are fairly intelligent if a little naive and I like how driven you are."

"Naive?" she snapped. His compliments were veiled behind unpleasant words, but she could still see them. It was odd, coming from him.

"And I like how brash you are," he snickered. "No one else would have dared throw a drink in my face in front of a crowd of people. It's a refreshing change from prim and polite."

"So," she began, hesitantly. "You did this because-"

"Because I wanted to," he finished, sounding bored. "I like watching how you react to things."

He caught her hand and pulled her closer, so that she now stood in between his legs. His placed his hands on her hips and looked up at her, his yellow eyes bright with excitement.

"And your reactions were more than satisfactory."

Misaki slapped his hands away, but he dragged her down so that she straddled his hips. The man laid back and placed his hand on the back of her head.

"Igarashi, wait-" she began, flustered. His admission to her had been very unexpected and she didn't know quite what to make of it. He silenced her by forcing her head down until he could reach her mouth with his lips and initiated another harsh kiss.

He smoothed one hand through her hair while the other trailed down her side until it came to rest on her lower back. If it had been any other man - or more particularly, the man who had just left - she might have thought the kiss to be romantic. His lips were soft, his movements firm but gentle, and the feeling ignited something in her stomach. But this was Tora Igarashi, a man she loathed, a man who had consistently been unpleasant to her, a man she should not find in any way appealing. And yet, he was. The hand in her hair moved down to her neck, where his fingers softly stroked the large artery on the side of her throat.

He rested his head back down on the duvet and released her from the kiss, groaning slightly.

"Can't you just give in to me?" he asked, unconsciously biting his bottom lip. "Give in to what you so clearly desire."

Misaki glared at him, ignoring the way her pulse raced and her breath had quickened. "Never."

Tora grinned widely and rested his forehead against hers. "Good."

"Good?" she repeated, swallowing nervously.

"I would be so disappointed if you did came to my side so easily," he murmured. The hand on her hip moved to her thigh and began to stroke the bare skin there. "You are an interesting woman, Misaki."

"You keep saying that," she grunted. Goosebumps rose on her skin as he hand skimmed higher. "Why?"

"Because it's true. Few things hold my attention for long. You've done well."

"Arrogant idiot," she chided. He scoffed and pulled down on her shoulder, flipping them around so she was now underneath him. The blonde then crawled off her and moved to the top of the bed to rest his back against the headboard. Misaki turned to face him, confused. He gave her a mischievous wink, causing her to blush.

"Touch yourself," he ordered, watching her carefully.

She gawped at him momentarily. "What?"

He chuckled darkly under his breath. "I want you to pleasure yourself in front of me. I won't touch you again until you make yourself come."

Misaki stared at him incredulously. Did he really expect her to do that in front of him? She bit her lip again, unsure of how to proceed.

"Come now, Misaki," Tora said, softly. "What's stopping you?"

"I just - it's embarrassing," she replied, scowling.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I like your body and the sounds you make when you find pleasure in it. Plus I told you to do it, so do it."

Misaki flushed. She closed her eyes and drew in a breath, calming her anger. Eventually, she opened her eyes and glared at the man in front of her.

"Um, how should I-?" she stammered.

Tora chuckled and tilted his head against his hand. "Just do what you do when you're alone. Pretend I'm not here."

That was certainly something easier said than done. As she laid down on the duvet and moved her hands beneath her skirts, she could almost feel his eyes following her movement. Misaki closed her eyes and tried to imagine this was _her_ room, _her_ bed. She thought back to a lonely night during last term, the night after Usui had kissed her. Slowly, she moved her hands over her body, one roaming over a clothed breast and the other skimming over her hips.

 _This was a scene she masturbated to often. Usui, by the pool, smiling coyly at her as he waved her saved picture at her. She imagined herself with less self control, approaching him and kissing the smug look off his face. At first, he would be a little shocked, she would be able to tell by the way his green eyes opened wide. But then, they would close and he would sink his hands into her hair and moan her name against her lips-_

She dipped her finger into her core and trailed the wetness up to her clit. She circled the small nub gently, letting out a breathy sigh as sparks of pleasure began to shoot through her body. Tora's gaze was still a heavy weight on her, even with her eyes closed. She could hear his breathing getting more laboured.

" _You're all mine, Misa," he would say, hands shaking with excitement as he unbuttoned her shirt. "Please be mine."_

" _I'm yours."_

" _Call me Master, Maid."_

Her hips jerked upward as she moved her fingers over her clit more firmly. With her other hand, she traced the skin of her neck. Tora let out a low moan. Misaki was too lost in her pleasure to have noticed the way his hand dipped below his waistband. Another voice started to murmur softly in her mind.

 _This was not like him at all, these were not Usui's words. They were Tora's. Still, the filthy sentences he spoke made her heart race._

" _I've wanted to fuck that little mouth of yours for quite some time," he said, pressing his cheek to hers. "Just give into me, say yes and I will make you scream in ecstasy until your voice gives out."_

 _The girl was confused. Her body was crying out for all the dirty things he whispered to her, but her mind was uncertain. This wasn't her Usui, even his eyes had changed from green to gold. This wasn't who she wanted, was it? If so, then why was she reacting this way?_

" _Beg."_

"Stop."

His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts. Misaki continued her actions, albeit slower than before, unwillingly to let go of the pleasure she had managed to build herself. Tora growled and pushed himself up so he was towering over her, soon wrenching apart her thighs so he could move between them. He pushed her hand away from her core with a groan.

"I said - stop," he chided. Misaki opened her eyes to see his face flushed with red and a slight sheen of sweat clinging to his neck. It was amusing to see how desperate he looked.

"I-" she began.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, reaching down to unzip his dress trousers. He pushed them down far enough to release his erection, but seemingly couldn't be bothered to completely remove them. "Tell me."

Misaki gasped as he slid into her. The man fell forward onto his forearms, covering her chest with his own, but he didn't move his hips, much to her displeasure. She knew then, from the strength of her reaction, that _this_ was always going to have happened. Her feelings for Igarashi were nothing more than raw, perverse emotions but for now, just for the night, she allowed herself to admit that _he was not nothing._

"Igarashi-"

"It's Tora. Now, tell me," he repeated. His hot mouth pressed against her neck and he licked a patch of skin delicately. Slowly, he sunk his sharp teeth into a tender area.

"Ngh!" she said, her core squeezing around him at the sensation. In turn, he moaned and slowly began to rock his hips back and forth. "None of your b-business, _Igarashi_."

Tora leaned away from her neck, a trickle of her blood running down his chin, and chuckled. "Were you thinking of me?"

The man picked up the pace and sank his length deeper inside of her, causing her to scream over and over.

"I like watching you," he whispered, lips close to her ear. "I like how you toy with yourself with my image in your mind."

Misaki shuddered at his salacious words and wrapped her arms around his neck, nails scratching into the skin of his back. The man let out a lustful moan at the feeling and thrust into her roughly, pushing her entire body up the bed. He leaned up then and looked down at her with a strange smirk on his face.

"Or perhaps it wasn't me - maybe it was Takumi?" he asked, moving his hand to her core. He rolled his thumb over her clit and watched as she twisted in pleasure. "Be honest."

"But-"

"Be honest, Misaki," he interrupted, groaning as she tightened around him.

"Well - ah!" she gasped as he pressed on her clit more firmly. "Y-yes."

 _Usui. The way he infuriated her. The teasing and name-calling. The way he looked at her with such love in his eyes. She pictured them fucking in her bed, slowly, his hands running through her hair and his mouth covering her shoulder in kisses-_

Tora chuckled and thrust harder. "Liar."

"Ah - fuck!" she exclaimed, back arching away from the bed. The pleasure he was bringing was overwhelming, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

 _Igarashi. The grins he gave her made her knees tremble. She hated his guts but that didn't stop her pulse racing when he glared at her. He had an air of snide superiority that only an aristocrat could maintain. His sharp orders and dispassionate glances left her wanting, he made her curious. She dreamed of him taking his time to tie her to the bed and tease her until she became undone-_

"Don't close your eyes," hissed, leaning forward so his face was only inches from hers. His hand clasped around her chin. "Ugh, your face - ah. Fuck, it turns me on."

Misaki shuddered as his brutal thrusts sent her over the edge. Her body quivered beneath him, twisting and keening as the pleasure washed over her. Tora followed soon after, biting down on her shoulder as he came inside of her. He groaned, satisfied, the taste of her blood on his tongue.

They remained in that position for a moment, eyes closed. Tora rested his head in the crook of her neck and she released her tight grip on his shoulders, letting her hands rest there limply.

"Why did you want to do this?" Misaki asked again, breathlessly. "You could find fun anywhere."

"Why do you think?" came his muffled reply. "Why did you?"

"You blackmaile-" she paused, feeling him hold his breath. She sighed and gripped the skin of his back with her fingertips. It would be stupid to keep up the pretense at this stage. Absentmindedly, her thumb began to stroke his shoulder and she felt him relax. "Because you interest me."

Tora raised himself up on his hands and sat back, still straddling her hips. He didn't look at her, for once.

"You are one of the few people who has seen my true face," he said, slowly. He frowned, uncertain and she noticed a flicker of some unusual emotion in his eyes. "And I think I-"

"Don't," she interrupted, holding up a hand. He looked down at her as she shook her head. "Don't complicate things further."

He smiled wryly and nodded. "A wise decision."

Misaki held her hand outstretched toward him. "Enemies?"

Tora chuckled darkly and grabbed her hand, shaking it roughly. "Enemies."

She let out the breath she had been holding as Tora climbed off her. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. His feelings were entirely alien to him, so he chose to ignore them. After a moment, he turned back to her with a sleazy grin on his face.

"Are you into bondage?"

-0-

Usui paced back and forth across his apartment, running a hand through his hair. The room was dark, lit only by the lights of the city streaming in through the large window. Licht was sleeping soundly on the sofa, undisturbed by her owner's unease. The man had changed out of his school uniform into a white t-shirt and had stripped down to his boxers. He had intended to go to bed, he wanted to drift off and silence the angry voice in his mind, but he found himself unable to sleep. After a while of tossing and turning in his bed, he had decided to calm his nerves with a drink.

He raised the glass of whiskey he had poured himself to his lips and took a short sip. The man let out an irritated growl and placed his drink down on the kitchen counter, wiping the excess liquid from the corner of his mouth. _It's not fair. Why him, why not me?_ He hated himself for thinking such things but he could not keep his jealousy at bay. It obviously hadn't been Misaki's choice, she despised Igarashi as much as he did. Didn't she? Usui knew he was being irrational, but the image of them together stuck in his head and made his stomach turn.

"This is ridiculous," he sighed to himself. He turned away from the counter and sat down on the sofa, resting his elbows on his knees.

There was much he regretted; getting involved when she had asked him not to, leaving her alone with him, for feeling so possessive... Usui groaned and held his head in his hands. She wasn't his property and she had every right to keep her secret in whatever way she chose. He didn't feel betrayed by her, how could he? No, he was furious with Igarashi for doing this to her and for keeping him in the room in what was an obvious display of power.

"Bastard," he snarled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Usui checked his watch and sighed. Three AM. There was no way in hell he would be able to sleep tonight.

-0-

 _It felt like someone was stroking her hair. Usui stroked her hair like this, perhaps it was him. She was dreaming though, wasn't she? Something warm covered her exhausted body. She was so tired, she felt like she might never wake up. Through the fog of sleep she felt a hand touch her cheek._

" _Goodnight, Miss Ayuzawa. Thanks for the fun."_

It was eleven o'clock when Misaki awoke, alone in Tora's bed. The girl sat upright and rubbed her fingers over her eyelids, wiping away the sleep dust that clung to her lashes. Her entire body ached and she winced as pain shot through her muscles.

"Jeez," she muttered, yawning. "Igarashi?"

She looked around the room - Tora was nowhere to be seen. Misaki couldn't remember him leaving but assumed she had passed out as someone had covered her with the thick duvet on the bed. Someone had also changed her out of her maid outfit into a black t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms, obviously fitted for a male. Though her limbs protested it, she shakily clambered out of the bed and made her way to the main living room. Tora was lounging on the sofa, wearing a pair of boxer shorts and an unbuttoned shirt.

"I see you're awake at last," he commented. She noticed then that he was smoking a cigarette and wrinkled her nose.

"Smoking is bad for you," she chided, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Everything I do is bad for me," he replied, carelessly. He flicked the burning ash into a tray and gave her a sly smile. "Now would you like Prosecco for breakfast, or orange juice?"

Misaki scowled at him. "The juice, thanks."

Tora shrugged and reached across the table to pick up a full flute of drink. "Suit yourself."

She watched him for a moment, almost fascinated by how alien the man was to her. He looked at ease in this environment, he seemed satisfied with the hedonistic lifestyle he had chosen but - she couldn't help but think he might get lonely.

"Are you happy?" she blurted out, accidentally.

Tora raised an eyebrow and placed his glass back on the table. "What do you mean?"

Misaki gestured around her. "All this stuff and - and all the people you must have made hate you. Does it make you happy?"

The man sighed and stubbed his cigarette out. He stood and took a few steps closer to her. He had a strangely grim expression on his face and when he stood only a couple of feet away, Misaki started to feel nervous.

"There are some people in this world who do not bother themselves with the moral high ground or indeed morals at all. You can be as sanctimonious as you please, but do not think that because my worldly tastes are a little darker than yours that I must be miserable," he stated, bluntly. "I am content with who I truly am - are you?"

Misaki looked away from him, irritated. "I don't understand you, Igarashi."

"I like being entertained. It staves off the resounding boredom of living," he chuckled and jerked his head toward the dining table. "Anyway, our deal is complete. Your picture and the USB stick are over there. You'll find a fresh set of clothes on the chair where you left your coat."

She blinked, surprised. "And...that's that?"

"That's that," he repeated, nodding. The man took another cigarette from his shirt pocket and placed it into his mouth. "Unless there was something else you needed?"

"No," she replied, turning away from him. She gathered her belongings and quickly changed into the spare set of clothes he had provided for her. By the feel and cut of the shirt and skirt, they were very expensive. At first she felt guilty for taking them, but faced with the option of wearing her sullied maid uniform home, she swallowed her pride and walked out into the living room, her bag slung over her shoulder.

Tora looked up at her and his lips quirked into a small smile. A thin curl of smoke curled out of his mouth. "Suits you."

"I'll wash them and send them back when I get home," she said, flustered.

"Don't bother. None of the girls I know would wear something so cheap," he replied, waving his hand at her.

Her cheeks flushed with anger. "Fine."

She stomped across the room and shoved the picture and USB stick into her bag, sighing with relief at the thought of keeping them safe again. Tora chuckled, amused at her sudden change in attitude.

"Takumi is waiting for you in the entrance hall," he said, taking another drag from his cigarette. "He's been here since nine."

"Usui's here?"

"Uh-huh," Tora nodded, golden eyes narrowing. "It seems he couldn't wait to save you from my oh-so evil clutches."

Misaki couldn't help but smile at the sarcasm dripping from his words. She looked to the door, then back at Tora, smile dropping. "Goodbye, Igarashi."

She turned away from him and started to walk toward the door when she felt a hand grasp her wrist. Tora spun her around so that she faced him and grabbed her hip so that he could pull her close. Misaki stiffened, uncomfortable with the way he was intently staring at her. He stayed silent, eyes examining her face for a moment longer, then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was brief, soft and tasted somewhere between the sweetness of Prosecco and the bitterness of tobacco. He released her then and turned away from her, giving her a careless wave.

"See ya' round, Miss Ayuzawa."

After she had gone, a satisfied smile spread across Tora's face and he got to his feet. He entered the bedroom and moved to the chest of drawers opposite the bed. Carefully, he reached into the large vase of flowers and removed the small camera he had placed there before his two guests had arrived.

This will come in useful in the future, he thought, chuckling darkly to himself.

-0-

Usui took her back to her home after that. He greeted her by pulling her into his arms, but he didn't speak. He didn't speak for the whole ride home. Misaki thanked him for assisting her home and asked him inside, but he simply shook his head and motioned for the taxi to head on. She didn't hear from him all weekend, which was unusual. Stranger still, her dreams were no longer plagued by images of Tora Igarashi. By the time Monday came around, her stomach was twisting nervously. As they were in different classes, she didn't see him until lunchtime, when he approached her as she was studying alone in the Student Council common room.

"Ayuzawa?" he called, poking his head around the door.

"Yeah, what do you want?" she replied, not looking up from her work. When she sensed someone standing close by the edge of her desk, she looked up and flinched when she noticed it was him. "Oh - Usui!"

"Sorry, did I startle you?" he said, with a smile.

Misaki felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of his charming grin. "N-no. Not at all. I was involved in my work, is all."

"I see," he replied. He leaned against the desk on both of his hands. "So, how are you?"

"I'm-" she began, awkwardly. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry for involving myself in your matters, Misaki," Usui sighed and reached forward to place his hand over hers. "I think that this whole thing-"

"Usui, please-" she interrupted, heart pounding loudly in her chest. Don't say it, she thought, if you say it we'll have to confront it.

"-has made me realise that I am absolutely, entirely, in love with you," he finished, swallowing thickly. He glanced at her and wasn't surprised to see her eyes wide with fright. "And I want you all to myself."

Misaki clenched her free hand into a fist and hung her head, gathering her thoughts. "Why did you have to go and say that, stupid Usui?"

The man gripped her hand tighter. "Because I don't want to hold back anymore. You don't have to say anything back, I just needed to-"

"I love you too," she whispered. He froze, letting her admission sink in, then he broke out into a smile and bent at the waist so he could wrap his arms around her shoulders. The girl stayed still, allowing him to hold her as tightly as he please. This was right, he felt right, this is where he belonged. He would never just be for the night. "Stupid, stupid Usui."

-0-

Years later, they would see Tora Igarashi at a party. A well-suited Usui was busy chatting to an acquaintance of his Father's somewhere in the crowded hall, while Misaki was stood at the bar, refilling her glass with Prosecco. She had grown quite fond of the beverage in recent years, its sweetness no longer made her feel queasy. The hall was buzzing with conversation and the sound of a live band elsewhere in the house filled the room with gentle music.

"Miss Ayuzawa," came a familiar voice from behind her. "Fancy seeing you here."

Misaki turned and that familiar twisting sensation began in her stomach. Tora looked a little older, any trace of immaturity now absent from his angular face. His hair was smoothed back and he wore an expensive looking black suit that fitted his lean frame perfectly. His golden eyes were as keen as ever and on his face, as usual, was an amused smirk.

"Igarashi," she stated, somewhat shocked by his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Stupid question," he responded. "Did you forget I am the Heir-"

"-to the Igarashi Conglomerate. Yes, I know," she interrupted, irritably.

The man chuckled and took a sip from his glass of wine. Her heart began to pound harder as his eyes lazily looked up and down her body. "You look good, Misaki."

"Thank you," she replied, gritting her teeth when she felt her cheeks blush. "What have you been up to?"

"Not much. Selling, buying, trading- the usual," he answered, in a bored tone. "And yourself?"

"Still studying. I hope to become a barrister in the next few years if I can pass the bar."

Tora nodded his head in approval. "Impressive as ever. Good luck."

"Thank you," she repeated. Nervously, she turned her glass round between her fingers. "I-"

"How are things going with Takumi?" he asked, smirking at her obvious awkwardness. "You are engaged, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she answered, smiling. "Set to be married next Autumn."

Tora chuckled and stepped a little closer to her. "Well, I do hope for an invitation, Miss Ayuzawa."

"I-I-"

"Tell me," he murmured, leaning in so that he was speaking close to her ear. "Do you still have that maid uniform?"

A shiver ran down Misaki's spine and a flash of memories from that night ran through her mind. "N-no, I don't work at Maid Latte anymore."

Tora tutted and withdrew, giving her a wink. "Pity. It looked so good on you."

"Igarashi."

Misaki let out a sigh of relief when she heard Usui's voice and felt his arm slide around her back. She looked up to see the two men glaring daggers at one another and groaned inwardly.

"Takumi, what a pleasure," Tora drawled, sarcasm obvious in his voice. "I was just saying how _nice_ it was to see _Misa_ here tonight."

"A pleasure indeed," Usui responded, dryly. "My sincerest apologies, but we must be going. We have another engagement to attend to this evening."

Tora let out a dramatic sigh and then chuckled. He reached forward and took ahold of Misaki's hand before raising it to his lips. She gulped as he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Until the next time we meet, Miss Ayuzawa," he said, standing upright again. With a final wink to Misaki and a hard glare at Usui, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

The couple looked at one another uneasily.

"Do you get the feeling that this won't be the last we've heard from him?" Misaki asked, nervously.

Usui didn't reply.

Later that night, when her fiancé was dreaming and she unable to sleep, her phone lit the room with a text message.

 _Hello, little Maid. I have a video you might like to see. I'll be waiting for your call when you're ready. T_


	2. Chapter 2

Work, network, eat, sleep. Repeat. He seemed to do little else. In fact, 'eat' was being neglected these days to make room for more sleep. He slept in his office four days out of seven, on the large leather sofa in the corner of the room. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact he rather liked listening to the sounds of the city outside of the high-rise where the Conglomerate was based. On the odd occasion he returned to his luxurious apartment he found himself unsettled by the silence. He picked up women to amuse him now, he couldn't stand being alone in the enormous place, it drove him mad. His bank account was overflowing with money, but he never got the chance to spend it. There was no time. He hadn't spoken to anyone about his worries, he barely let his own mind linger on them for too long. Stress would not do, it only gave him a headache. The man didn't have anyone to confide in anyway, so he kept his head down, he kept going. Tora Igarashi would not fail, he wouldn't let his Father down. And if that meant losing sleep, losing food, losing time - he would do it.

The Igarashi Heir had changed. He was a quieter than in his youth, more subdued by the unending stream of business cases that landed on his desk. His once-vibrant social life had boiled down to network mixers and company dinners, though he rarely stayed for long. He drank a lot, usually in his office and he was rarely seen without a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth. Physically, he was thinner, sharper around the edges and his hair a little longer, though his golden eyes still sparkled with the same intensity. His mouth still pulled up into the same smirk when he turned to look at her as she entered his office. He dropped the papers he was holding and leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. The man removed the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out in the ash-tray on his desk.

"Miss Ayuzawa," he greeted, smoothly. "What brings you here at this late hour."

The woman slammed the door to his office behind her and stomped toward him, her face flushed a deep scarlet. "You piece of shi-."

"Would you care for a drink?" he said, lightly.

"No, I do not want a drink!" she answered, voice shrill. "What the hell was that message about last night?"

Misaki Ayuzawa was as impressive as ever. She was taller than before and she dressed a little better, in a pair of black jeans and a navy sweater, but her hair was still styled in the same fashion and her face retained the youthfulness that had been worn out of Tora's. He smiled at her and headed toward the drinks cabinet. After seeing her at the party, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. He needed a reason to see her - the video was obvious bait. For once he couldn't work out a plan, he just wanted to see her. Misaki spoke to him like no other would dare and he was craving conversation. However he thought she would call, he never imagined she would appear in his office at eight o'clock at night without prior notice. Alone.

"Where is Takumi?" he asked, arranging the glasses in front of him. He plucked a bottle of red wine from the back of the cabinet and began to pour two large glasses.

"Usui left this morning to visit his Gerard and Edward," she replied, irritably. Tora looked up, facing his reflection in the mirrored cabinet - did she come without Takumi's knowledge? "Now answer my question, Igarashi."

Tora sighed and turned back to her. He sauntered across the room and placed a now-full glass on the desk beside her. Now only a foot away from her, he fixed her gaze and sent her a filthy smirk. Misaki tensed at his proximity and took a step back, taking hold of the glass as she moved. Tora chuckled, amused.

"Good to see I still have that effect on you," he laughed, taking a sip of his drink.

Misaki scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What, nausea?"

The man lowered his glass to his side, still staring at her with an amused look on his face. "To answer your question - you really should start being more careful."

"What?" she snapped, confused.

"Well, you don't seem to be aware of your surroundings. First, the picture. Now, the video."

"What video?" she said, frowning.

Tora grinned, elongated teeth poking over his bottom lip, and took a step toward her. "Why, the video of our night together."

Misaki stiffened and her mouth dropped open in shock. She spoke slowly, as if trying to process her thoughts still. "You...you have a video of...that?"

The man nodded, raising his glass to his lips once again. He took a long sip of his drink, allowing himself time to admire her horrified reaction. Finally, he lowered his glass and licked the wine from the corner of his mouth.

"You don't need to worry, Misaki. I'm not going to show anyone," he said, smiling widely. "I had quite forgotten about it until I saw you last night."

"You're not going to show anyone?" she repeated, suspiciously.

Tora nodded. "No. The hard-drive with the files on is beside you on the desk. You can take it, I've no further use for it."

Misaki frowned again. What was his game, he was being awfully compliant. "Just like that?"

"What do you think?" he replied, rolling his head to one side. "I rarely do anything without getting something in return."

The woman felt her cheeks heat up under his watchful eye. Images of their last arrangement passed through her mind and she balled her hands up when she felt her palms begin to sweat. "I'm not doing that again, Igar-"

"I don't expect you to. Well, not unless you want to," he interrupted, winking at her. Misaki growled under her breath, temper boiling over.

"Of course I don't, jerk."

Tora shrugged nonchalantly and waved his free hand at her. "Your loss."

"So, what do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

The man set his drink down on the desk and turned back to her, placing his hands in his pockets. What did he want, why had he called her here? He racked his brains for an idea and blurted out the first thing he could think of.

"Dinner."

Misaki paused for a moment, surprised. That was a meager request compared to last time. Still, she had learned never to trust the Igarashi Heir, not for one second. "You want to have dinner? With me?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

Tora smiled, amused. "My place."

Misaki hesitated, brows knitting together in concern. "What are your intentions here, Igarashi?"

"Nothing untoward, I assure you," he answered. "Simply dinner with an old enemy."

She sighed, staring him down. His words from long ago played fresh in her mind. _It wouldn't serve me to lie to you, Misaki. Not in this instance._ After he had shown her his true face, he had never lied to her.

"Fine," she said, folding her arms over her chest. Tora turned away from her and moved around the desk to take a seat back in his chair. She raised an eyebrow when she caught sight of the sofa behind him, which was covered in a number of pillows and blankets. "Have you been sleeping here?"

He looked up at her, sternly and pursed his lips. "None of your business, Miss Ayuzawa."

It was then Misaki noticed the dark shadows that circled his eyes and the grey pallor of his skin. His cheekbones had always been prominent, but his face looked hollow now. In fact, his clothes seemed to be hanging off him. He looked exhausted. She frowned and let her arms fall back at her side. Was it appropriate for her to be worried about him - her enemy? She had always thought of Igarashi as someone similar to her; a hard-worker, a President, a leader. A man who prided himself on achieving the best and one who didn't mind taking on multiple roles at the same time. She never had the pressure of an entire company on her back, however. Perhaps the weight was too much for him.

Tora rubbed his temples softly. Another migraine seemed to be brewing behind his eyes. He sighed and retrieved a packet of painkillers from the drawer next to him. This was no good, he still had a lot of work to do before he could sleep tonight. Quickly, he stuffed a couple of pills into his mouth and washed them down with a gulp of wine.

"Are you okay?" Misaki asked. He glanced up at her and was irked by the look of concern on her face. "You don't look wel-"

"I'm just swell," Tora hissed, irritably. He slid a small black box across the desk toward her. "Here. You'll find the only copy of the video on here. Destroy it, keep it, whatever. Just don't let Takumi get his hands on it, I'm sure he won't be happy about it."

Misaki scowled at his obvious side-stepping and snatched the hard-drive up from the table. "Fine."

"Dinner, tomorrow evening. I will have a car sent to your place at seven thirty. Try and wear something nice for once," he said, brusquely. The man plucked a cigarette from the packet stuffed in his top pocket and flicked open a lighter with his other hand. As he placed the lighter down on the desk, he placed the filter into his mouth and took a long drag. He looked back at Misaki, who was sending him a judgemental look. "What?"

"You look sick, Igarashi," she chided. "You shouldn't smoke."

"Don't lecture me, Maid," he snapped, tone suddenly angry. Misaki's eyes widened slightly and she took a step back from the desk. His fierce glare dropped when he noticed her movement and he glanced away from her, annoyed with himself for reacting in such a way.

"I'm not a maid anymore, Igarashi," she replied, swallowing thickly. "My name is Misaki."

"Get out," Tora ordered, waving a hand toward the door. He closed his eyes, exhausted and continued to smoke. His head was beginning to pound.

Misaki watched him for a moment longer then turned on her heel and headed out of the office, clutching the hard drive tightly in her hand. Igarashi still infuriated her, he was still as arrogant as ever but she couldn't help but feel worried. She racked her brains for a way to get through to him - what would get through to her? They were equally stubborn, after all.

She jammed her finger on the elevator button and let out an angry sigh. "Damn it, Tora."

-0-

The first time she said it, all those years ago, she was certain.

" _I love you too, Stupid Usui."_

" _I d-don't know how to," he stammered, stepping away from her as she looked up at him from the bed. "I've never-"_

" _Stop talking, Usui," she replied, softly. She stood, then moved toward him, taking his shaking hand in her own. Slowly, she raised it to her lips and kissed the skin of his palm. "And touch me."_

" _I don't know what t-to do," he cried. He hadn't been in this situation before - not once in his entire life. People seemed to think he had been with many girls, but in truth he had never bothered going further than kisses. Now, here he was, unable to move, unable to think - it was all her fault. This is what he'd always wanted, wasn't it? So why couldn't he stop shaking? She pulled on his hand, tugging him into her chest. He flinched at the contact, drawing in a sharp breath. Misaki smiled and tilted her head to the side._

" _Are you scared, Usui?" she asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. She released her grip on his fingers then, and moved her hands around his waist, keeping him in place. "You, the teasing pervert space alien? Are you afraid of me?"_

" _Of course n-not," he said, looking past her at the mirror above his bed. He liked the way his hands looked around her waist and he had to refrain from clamping down on the soft material that covered her body. "I'm just not used to - this."_

" _I find that hard to believe."_

" _I didn't know who-," Usui replied, in a strained tone, finding it harder and harder to get words out of his mouth. How he wished to throw her down and ravish her - but, those were just terms that he had read in books. In reality, he didn't know how._

" _Touch me," she demanded, brows knitting together. Usui sighed, looking back down at the floor, releasing his grip on her. Misaki groaned and pushed him onto the bed, glaring at him angrily. She leaned over his body, placing her hands on either side of his head. Her beauty struck him, in that moment - the way her dark hair sprouted from her scalp to her shoulders, how bright her eyes were. "Or shall I touch you?"_

 _Usui's eyes widened as her fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt, quickly releasing them, one after the other. When she touched the skin of his chest, he let out a quiet moan, unable to contain the delight of this new sensation. Her fingers smoothed down his sides, forcing his back to arch away from the bed toward her. The feeling consumed him for one long, languid moment and he almost raised his hands to touch her - but quickly stopped himself. Immediately, he froze, then quickly turned his head to one side._

" _Usui?" her quiet voice asked._

 _Misaki leaned down and took his face gently in her hands. He fought the urge to flinch away, but watched her with terrified, wide eyes. The girl leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. It was only brief, he barely had time to enjoy it before she pulled away and her hands disappeared from his face._

 _"I'm sorry, Misa," he murmured, sadly. The image of Igarashi entered his mind - his hands on her skin. He probably knew what to do."I just feel a bit...useless."_

 _She kissed him again, harder this time. As her lips moved against his, his resolve crumbled entirely. Her scent was intoxicating, she made his heart pound. It was Misa, his Misa. Why was he so nervous? One hand moved to the back of her head, where it ran smoothly through her hair. The other moved to her collar and he began gently unbuttoning her blouse._

 _Misaki moved back and fixed him with a stern glare. "You're not useless, stupid Usui."_

 _"I really don't know what I'm doing here," he replied, truthfully. They grinned at one another happily and he sat up, with her still straddling his lap._

 _He slid her shirt over her shoulders, then removed her skirt, his touch lingering on her hips. This felt right, he wanted to - but, he'd never done this before. The man paused, recoiling slightly from the kiss. He felt his cheeks heat up as he stumbled over his words._

 _"I've really haven't ever-"_

 _"Ever what?" she replied, her hands smoothing down over his chest._

 _She felt oddly powerful, thanks to the uneasy expression on his face. He appeared to be nervous - it made her take the lead, it gave her the will to take the reigns. She pushed his shirt from his arms, and let it flutter to the floor. Her hands splayed out over his chest, barely there, barely a whisper of a touch. Usui shuddered under the cool sensation that her fingertips brought, goosebumps erupting over his shoulders as she carelessly circled different areas of his body. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, reveling in the odd, unfamiliar feeling of being touched by the woman he adored._

 _"I've never done..." he trailed off, opening his eyes to look down at her. She was stood so close, her skin touching his, her dark hair fluffed, framing her strangely passive features. Her ease terrified him, and a sudden panic grew in his stomach that she would laugh - she would laugh at him because he was a boy, just a boy who knew nothing about...this compared to Tora Igarashi. He'd never bothered with women before - they were too bothersome, too much of a pain. She looked up at him and quirked an eyebrow slightly, forcing him from his hesitance._

 _"I've not done this before."_

 _Usui stiffened and waited for her reaction. No laughter came, just the soft feeling of her lips against the base of his neck, her hands roaming up his back to settle in his hair._

 _"Who cares?"_

 _A new feeling worked its way through his body - he couldn't find the words to describe it. She pressed her body into him as close as she could possibly could._

 _As she brought her kisses to his lips, his mind clouded with frustration. There was no direction, he didn't know what to do - his hands remained limp at his sides, though they ached to touch her, to feel her skin, to maybe elicit some of those feelings within her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled her hips up slightly, before grinding back down into his pelvis. He couldn't hold back the breathy groan that escaped into her mouth - she seemed to like that, he could feel her smile against his lips. Usui pulled back, wary of what to do, if she would let him touch her, if what he was doing was stupid, wrong, juvenile-_

 _"You are allowed to touch me, Takumi," she said, nudging her nose against his. A sly smile played around her lips, and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "In fact, I would enjoy that very much."_

 _Usui looked at her, dazed slightly. He raised his hands from the bed an inch or two, but paused. Where on Earth should he begin? Shakily, he removed her underwear - he didn't know where to look, so he focused on her soft smile, her bright, intelligent eyes. He knew the female anatomy, he knew the basic areas to provide sexual stimulation, but -_

 _Misaki noticed his hesitation and pressed her lips softly against his again. Only quickly, and as she pulled back he almost tried to follow. Her hands moved down his shoulders, wrapped around his own and then moved them up to settle on her thighs._

 _"Usui," she whispered, hand sneaking up to tug the back of his hair. "Touch me."_

 _A breath caught in his throat. It was her order, the way she took control that made his mind jolt. He couldn't hold back, not anymore, not anymore. His fingers clenched her thighs tightly, fingernails digging into her skin hard enough to leave marks. She jumped slightly at the sudden pain, and her hips bucked violently into him._

 _"Misa," he managed to say, voice hoarse from her movements. "Tell me you want me."_

 _Misaki stared down at him, eyes widening at his request.. "I-" she began._

 _His mask of calm was slipping. A lusty, unfamiliar growl left his lips and he snaked his hand up her back to pull her hair down, exposing her neck to him. The tendrils caught and tangled around his fingers, and it must have hurt if her pained mews were anything to go by. Excitement took over; a smirk spread across his lips as he moved another hand up over her thigh, to stroke over her hipbone, then down to feel her cunt. She let out a sharp breath as his fingers trailed slowly over her outer lips, up and down, repeatedly. He wanted her to go mad with desire, he wanted her to yearn, to plead for him just as he had felt for her._

 _"I said - tell me you want me," Usui repeated, ghosting his lips over the base of her neck just as she had done to him. She shuddered as his breath hit her skin, and arched her back slightly, chest jutting forward in the process. At her stubborn silence, he leaned forward and latched his mouth onto the swell of her breast, biting and sucking hard enough to elicit another soft whimper from her. Strangely, and unexpectedly, he felt moisture soaking his fingers after this mistreatment, so he moved back and raised an eyebrow toward her. With a harsh jolt, he tugged her hair upwards, so she was looking straight toward him. Her eyes were glazed over, mouth agape slightly, and her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of crimson._

 _"Did you enjoy that?" he asked, not to tease her, but out of genuine fascination. She hesitated, but eventually nodded as best she could under the grip of his fingers. Usui pulled her closer to him, growling again when her hips ground heavily into his lap. He kissed her, unlike any other kiss they had shared, all careful and kind inclinations lost to the desperation he had pent up for so long, instead rough, biting and passionate tongue delving in her mouth, capturing her moans and cries. She shrieked into the kiss when he moved his fingers inside of her, curling and touching, experimenting to see what would gain the greatest reaction. Her wetness was soaking his hand, trickling down his fingers and eventually dripping onto the floor. With each thrust of his hand she writhed in his lap, screamed what he thought was his name into his mouth. Her little body began to shudder, and he felt her cunt rhythmically tighten around his fingers - so he ceased, and pulled them out, settling that hand once again on her thigh._

 _Misaki stared at him, wide eyed, short breaths rattling through her lungs at a rapid rate. Her eyes were dilated, and a sheen of sweat was visible over her skin. "Why-?"_

 _He twisted their bodies around, so her back was on the bed, and he was positioned over her. The smirk disappeared - he wasn't able to think straight. He needed her, he wanted whatever she would give, he begged- "Misa, please-"_

 _"Be quiet and take your clothes off," she breathed, her hands working quickly over his belt buckle and releasing it from its catch._

 _Usui grinned widely, and followed her lead once more, pushing the beige dress trousers down over his hips. His actions had turned clumsy again, his palms were sweating in anticipation as he settled between her thighs. She leaned forward, capturing his lips in a soft, gentle kiss, before she guided him into her cunt. He closed his eyes - the feeling, of tight, hot, wet, fuck-_

 _One, two, three. One, two, three-_

 _When it was over, and the euphoria had left him, he looked at the exhausted girl beside him and ran his fingers lightly over the various marks that littered her body. Her lips looked raw, as did the hickeys on her neck. A number of red marks had formed around her wrists, her hips, her thighs - impressions of his fingertips, where he gripped her skin too tightly. He wanted to apologize, but he reminded himself of the screams of ecstasy each mark had wrought from her. In the afterglow, she turned and smiled, she kissed his lips gently and ran her hands through his hair. In that moment he felt no anxiety, or jealousy - just bliss._

-0-

It was a cold evening and the early Winter Sun had already set. Misaki pulled her coat tighter around her torso and rubbed her hands together, shivering slightly. At Igarashi's instruction she had dressed a little nicer than her usual attire, in a button up green shirt tucked into a black skirt and a pair of black and white brogues. She was glad to have picked up her thick winter coat before leaving, as she was now stood outside of the apartment block where she and Usui resided and it was freezing. She checked her watch - seven forty. He was late. The woman scowled and looked up and down the street, crossing her arms over her chest.

Misaki turned away from the road and looked back into the warmth of the lobby. Perhaps she should go back inside. Perhaps she should stay at home. She bit her lower lip nervously and fiddled with the necklace around her neck. Usui had bought it for her birthday last year and she never took it off for fear of losing it. She could be awfully clumsy at times and it was too precious to misplace. A happy smile spread across her face. Things between her and Usui were so easy, so comfortable, she loved him more than she could say. Her smile strained slightly when she thought back to their last conversation.

" _You're going to dinner with Igarashi? Why?"_

 _Misaki ran a hand through her hand and sighed into the phone. If she didn't tell him about the video, would that be lying? "He asked me to and I'd lik-."_

" _Don't go," he answered. She could hear the anger in his voice._

" _Usui, listen. He doesn't seem...well. I wouldn't usually think of accepting his offer but-"_

" _He's obviously trying to get you alone again, Misa-"_

" _-I think he needs a friend."_

" _Friend?" Usui paused for a moment, then she heard him sigh deeply. "If he tries anything I'll wring his neck."_

" _Calm down, Takumi, please," she chided. "Don't you trust me?"_

" _Of course I do, I love you," he replied. "But I don't trust him."_

 _She heard a voice call out somewhere in the background and ran a hair through her hair again._

" _Usui?"_

" _Sorry Misa, I need to go. Please call me as soon as you get home or I'll worry about you. If he does anything, call the police."_

 _Misaki chuckled lightly. "Don't be so dramatic. If he goes over the line I'll just floor him!"_

 _A tense silence answered her. She could picture the look on his face, she had seen it before. The day after her night with Igarashi._

" _Just be careful. And don't..." he trailed off, sounding unhappy._

" _Do you really think I would do that to you?" she asked, surprised. "I said it once before, but I'll say it again - Tora Igarashi means nothing to me."_

" _Do you expect me to believe that, Ayuzawa?" Usui snapped, angrily. She was taken aback by his sudden outburst and bit her lip anxiously. "You fucked him before and now you're going to see him 'as a friend'? That's pretty far from nothing."_

 _Misaki furrowed her brow, confused. "I thought you trusted me."_

 _He groaned, sounding exasperated. "I do, it's just -"_

" _And whilst we may be a couple," she began, annoyed. "You don't own me, Usui. If I think he needs my help as a friend, I will help him. You and your irrational jealousy are not going to stop that."_

 _He scoffed, angering her further. "Fine, whatever Misaki. I have to go."_

" _I love y-"_

 _He had already hung up._

Misaki closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the cold night air. She couldn't tell if she was in the wrong, or if Usui was being unreasonable. The woman stuck her nose in the air and let out her breath - definitely the latter. Igarashi might not be a close friend - hell, he wasn't even really a friend - but some part of her felt sorry for him. To see the strong, arrogant man so beaten down was disheartening. Perhaps she could help in some way. Misaki was one of the few who knew what Tora was really like, at least he would be able to talk to her honestly. She cupped her hands together and huffed her warm breath into them. It was bloody freezing. Igarashi better arrive soon, she thought, and he better bloody have some wine pre-chilled, she needed a drink. A loud horn sounded behind her and she jumped around, startled. A luxurious car was situated a few feet away, engine running quietly. The glass in the back side door slid down smoothly, revealing Igarashi's face. The man leaned one arm out of the window and tapped his cigarette out onto the pavement. He glanced up and down her body as she approached the car.

"I thought I told you to dress up," he said, snidely, a trickle of smoke slipping out from between his lips.

"And I told you to stop smoking," she retorted, placing her hand on the handle below his window. She yanked the heavy door open and leaned down slightly. "Move up."

Tora blew a cloud of smoke into her face, causing her to splutter and shut her eyes, waving it away from her mouth. In her fluster, he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her into the car, laying her across his lap. Misaki reflexively elbowed him in the stomach and scrabbled to the other side of the car.

"You're such a fucking-"

"Cool it, Ayuzawa," he ordered, pulling the door shut. He banged on the glass window which separated them from the driver and the car pulled away from the pavement back onto the road. "Next time, get in the other side."

"I asked you to move up, didn't I?" she replied, scowling at him.

"Did you really think I would?" Tora chuckled, taking another drag on his cigarette.

Misaki tilted her head to the side as she observed him quietly. His gaunt face was highlighted by the flashes of streetlight as they passed by outside. The wind licked his pale skin and ruffled his light blonde hair as it whipped in through the window, mussing his usually neat appearance. His clothes contrasted this, it looked as if he had made an effort to remove every crease from his deep purple shirt and dress trousers. Or rather, he had paid _someone else_ to make an effort, she reminded herself. Tora glanced back at her and gave her a coy smile.

"Stop staring at me, Miss Ayuzawa," he snickered, flicking the stub of the cigarette out of the window. He pressed the button on the door panel and the glass slid back up, protecting them from the ice-cold air outside.

"I wasn't!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms. "How far is it to your place, anyway?"

"Why? Can't wait to be alone with me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Misaki gave him a stern stare. "Don't say things like that. It's not appropriate."

Tora grinned, his sharp teeth poking over his bottom lip, and turned back to look out of the window next to him. She ran a hand through her hair and looked the other way, propping her elbow up on the door. With a sigh, she rested her chin on her hand. There it was, that squirming feeling in her stomach, ever-present around Igarashi. She didn't want to think about what the reaction meant, so decided to ignore it.

"Did you tell Takumi you were coming tonight?" he asked, nonchalantly.

Misaki grit her teeth together and concentrated on the street lights passing by outside. From behind the tinted windows, they almost looked like fireflies. "Yes."

"Did you tell him about the video?"

"No."

Tora raised a brow and turned his head to look at her. The woman was focused on the window so he could not see the uneasy expression on her face. "Interesting. How did he feel about you coming here?"

Misaki turned her head back to him, frowning. "What do you think?"

He chuckled lightly, much to her annoyance. "He should put more faith in you, Misaki."

Yes, he should, she thought, relaxing into the car seat. Whilst she understood his worry, she didn't understand why he was being so possessive. "I tried to explain that you might…"

Tora eyed her suspiciously. "Might what?"

Misaki waved her hand, deciding against detail. He would only get annoyed if he thought she pitied him. "Nothing."

"Tell me," he insisted.

"I told him that you might-" she repeated, trying to form a lie quickly. She sighed, unable to do so under his judgemental eye. "I thought you looked a little, uh-"

"Spit it out, Ayuzawa," he said, coolly.

"You look like shit, Igarashi. I mean, you look fine just really tired. And thin. You seemed stressed out so I wanted to come and have dinner with you."

Tora stiffened and moved his gaze to the mirror glass in front of them. Did he really look that bad? He hadn't noticed. "You wanted to?"

"Yeah," she answered. The woman sent him a smile and he blinked, confused. "You looked like you could use a friend."

The car slowed to a halt in front of an enormous tower block and sat idly in front of the entrance doors while the passengers stared at one another silently. Eventually, Tora turned away from her and they simultaneously opened the car doors so that they could step outside. Misaki shivered when the cool air touched the bare skin of her face. She turned around just as the car began to pull away and watched as Igarashi walked slowly to her side. He paused next to her momentarily and shot her a fierce glare before continuing toward the entrance.

"I don't need a friend, Miss Ayuzawa," he hissed. "I need entertainment."

The woman walked after him, angry at his toneless response. "Whatever you say, jerk."

"Shut up," he drawled, holding open the door for her. She nodded in thanks and crossed the threshold, breathing a sigh of relief as the warmth of the room rolled over her. As expected, the skyscraper was opulent, tastefully decorated with marble floors and colonnaded hallways. It was more classical than she expected, she always assumed Igarashi leaned toward the modern, as Usui did.

"Do you have any wine?" she asked, as he led them toward the set of elevators at the end of the lobby. "I need a drink to be able to deal with you."

"Do you really need to ask?" he snorted, smirking at her. She returned the nasty smile with one of her own and stepped into the elevator when the doors slid open.

"So when did you move here?" Misaki asked, noting that he pressed the button for the twelfth and top floor.

Tora shrugged, absentmindedly. "Can't remember exactly. Must have been a couple of years back. It's close to the office, but I don't tend to stay here all that often. I mainly use this place for entertaining."

"Entertaining?" she repeated, frowning. The man sent her a wink and she landed a punch on his arm, balking.

The elevator slid smoothly up the shaft, soon stopping at the twelfth floor. The lift doors slid open to reveal a small hallway with another door at the end. Tora exited, rummaging in his pocket for his keycard. He opened the door for her and held out his other hand, gesturing for her to pass.

"After you," he said, nodding curtly.

His home was unbelieveable. The furthest wall was entirely made of glass, giving a beautiful view of a sparkling city below. The space was open plan, with a well-equipped, stainless steel kitchen to the right and a large seating area occupied by squishy leather couches to the left. A rectangular dinner table was placed in the center of the room so that guests could fully admire the expansive view of the city outside. The colour scheme stuck to steely greys and rich blues and the surfaces seemed to be devoid of any personal touches. Misaki tilted her head, thoughtfully. It was almost as if he were living in a showroom. The only signs that this were Igarashi's penthouse was the ash-filled tray, the stacks of papers and half-empty bottles of wine on the dining room table.

"This is amazing," she exclaimed, looking back at him.

"Did you expect any less?" Tora replied, cockily. He waltzed past her and threw his keycard onto the table. "What do you want to drink?"

"Uh, what do you have?" she asked, removing her coat. "Where can I hang this?"

Tora looked back and jerked his head at her. "There's a stand right behind you. And I've got pretty much anything. I can send someone out if we don't have it."

Misaki hooked her coat onto the stand and turned around to find him watching her with an unhappy look on his face. "What?"

Tora blinked heavily and shook his head. "Nothing. I'll open something cheap."

In truth, he had been distracted by how lovely she looked, though he could never tell her that. Instead, he walked over to the kitchen and leaned down to the wrought iron rack beneath the island. Something cheap, he thought, grimacing. Sure. His hand rested on a bottle of vintage he had been gifted for his birthday and removed it from its holder. They might as well drink it tonight, who knows when he might next have company.

"Cheap," she grumbled, sitting down in one of the dining room chairs. "Is that really what you think of me, Igarashi?"

"Didn't I tell you to call me Tora?" he responded, retrieving two large glasses and a corkscrew from the cupboard. He set them down in front of her and began to twist the screw into the bottle.

"When did you say that?" she retorted, sharply. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered.

' _It's Tora. Now tell me. Were you thinking of me?'_

He halted his movements and peered down at her, pleased with the awkward expression on her face. "Good to see you remember."

Misaki glared at him fiercely for a moment, then turned her head with her nose in the air. "Idiot. Would you hurry up and open that already."

Tora's smile widened and he pulled the cork easily from the bottle, then set the screw on the table. "So dismissive."

He stood close beside her and began to fill her glass, enjoying the rich, heady aroma that emerged from the bottle. Misaki seemed to like it also, for she looked down at the liquid and unconsciously licked her lips. Tora swallowed thickly and tore his gaze away from her mouth. Was that sickness turning his stomach - whatever it was it wouldn't do.

"What are we having to eat?" she asked, glancing up at him. He was standing a little too close for comfort, she could almost feel the heat from his body. The man finished pouring his glass and set the bottle in the centre of the table.

"Uh-" he began, retreating to the chair opposite her. "I'm not sure."

"I thought you would have planned some elaborate feast to rub in my face," she laughed.

Tora frowned and sat down in the chair, glass in hand. He hadn't even thought about it, he had been working all night and slept for most of the day. Misaki watched as his face dropped into a sullen expression.

"I know!" she said, brightly. "Let's order. I haven't had takeaway in months because Usui insists on cooking every night."

"Every night?"

Misaki laughed and twisted the stem of her wine glass around between her fingers. "Yeah, I mean - I can't cook anything without it turning a weird grey colour so he feels obliged."

"Obliged? I think he probably feels endangered," Tora retorted, removing his phone from his trouser pocket. "I don't think I've ever had takeaway food before."

"Of course you haven't," she replied, sarcastically. "I'm surprised you don't have your own chef, Igarashi."

"I did," he answered. Misaki's mouth dropped open in surprise. "But I don't come home a lot, so it seemed a bit pointless."

He didn't come home? Misaki rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully. So he had been sleeping in his office - just as she suspected. She took a sip from her glass and marvelled at the taste. "Jeez - this is fantastic, Tora!"

He chuckled lightly and placed his phone down on the table. It was nice to hear her call him by his name, though he quickly dashed those thoughts from his head. "I'm sure your commoner's tastebuds are going wild."

The woman stuck her tongue out at him childishly and continued to take another large gulp of wine. He pushed his phone across the table toward her.

"I don't know how or where to order. You do it," he grunted, leaning back in his seat.

"Well, what do you want to eat?" she asked, hesitantly picking up his phone. It was an enormous piece of technology, larger than her hand.

"Food."

"What cuisine, jerk?"

Tora rolled his eyes and took another sip of his drink. "I'm guessing they don't deliver Lobster Thermidor?"

Misaki stared at him blankly, her face growing red.

The man glared back at her, jokingly, and pulled a cigarette from his top pocket. "I don't care. Get whatever you like. Impress me."

She tapped her fingers on the table rhythmically, pondering their options. "Well, we could have something a bit different? Suzana sent us four huge bags of rice a month ago, so I'm a bit sick of that. Hmm."

Tora placed his wallet on the table and started to refill their rapidly empty glasses. He listened to her ramble through a number of other options and was bemused by the strangely comfortable atmosphere that settled between them. Without thinking, he spoke sincerely. "I haven't eaten since yesterday, so whatever you order, order lots of it."

Misaki paused and for a moment, Tora thought she was going to snap at him for not eating. However, she seemingly ignored the subtext and continued. "I want pizza, I think."

"Pizza?" Tora repeated, placing the bottle back down on the table. "I mean, it's not exactly high-quality, Mis-"

"Like I care," she interrupted, waving her hand at him. She began tapping the screen of his phone, calling up a website. "Plus, this place is really good and the pizza's are enormous!"

He stilled at her last comment, one so clearly directed toward him. He turned his head away from her as she continued to talk out loud about the things she was ordering, looking out over the night-time scene. The view was one of the few reasons he liked coming back to this place - 'this place', never 'home' - in an odd way it calmed him to see everyone else rushing by. It was always busy, nothing seemed to slow down. Even in the early hours of the morning, when he sat on the balcony outside smoking a cigarette and trying to read reports, there was always life. The noise was soothing. His thoughts were interrupted when Misaki squawked his name loudly.

"Igarashi!" she shouted, clapping her hands to get his attention. The man flinched at looked back at her.

"What?"

"Do you eat meat?"

"Yes, I eat meat," he answered, throwing his wallet across the table to her. "But I hate fruit on a pizza."

"Ugh, me too. Usui loves pineapple, but I…" Misaki trailed off, wrinkled her nose and nodded. "Are you sure you want to buy this? I could pay. You did get the wine after all."

"I'm paying, Misaki." Tora said, staring at her incredulously. "Not because I'm trying to show off but because I was the one was asked you here. Use the details from the silver card in the second pocket."

She nodded, though her face flushed red with embarrassment. "Well, next time I'll pay."

Tora suddenly swallowed the wine he had been sipping. "Next time?"

"Uh, that's not what - um -"

He chuckled as she bent her head down and began to type in the payment details. Misaki looked back up at him quickly and was taken aback by the honesty of his expression. The smirk had vanished and had been replaced by an equal, genuine smile. His eyes were crinkled around the edges and their usual intensity had dulled to a soft, comforting gaze. The man seemed to relax in his chair - he seemed happy. She hadn't been sure if accepting his invitation to dinner was the right thing to do until that moment. Her heart pounded roughly against her chest and her eyes widened. This wasn't happening, it wasn't right, he wasn't-

"Okay," she said, smiling back at him. "I've ordered a shit-ton of food, Igarashi. Prepare yourself."

The handsome smile dropped back into his usual smirk. "Bring it on, Miss Ayuzawa."

-0-

 _Next chapter will be up soon._

 _Thank you for the reviews._

 _MG._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello lovelies. Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it. Note on length of chapters - I probably should make them a little shorter, however, I personally enjoy longer chapters when reading fanfic which is why I chose to make my own quite chunky. That being said, this one is a little shorter. One more chapter left.**

-0-

" _Takumi, always a pleasure."_

" _Igarashi."_

" _Do, come in."_

 _Tora stepped to the side and allowed the other man to pass into the Student Council office, which had emptied after the final school bell an hour ago. The President himself remained behind, deciding to complete his work rather than socialise that evening. It had been a surprise when the security team who manned the main gate rang through with news of Usui's arrival. He closed the door behind the other man and gestured to the couches in the centre of the room. Usui sat down on one side of the sofa and removed his jacket._

" _Drink?" Tora asked, breezily. He moved past Usui toward his desk, placing a cigarette into his mouth._

" _Please," the other man replied. His words were clipped, his tone sour. "And a cigarette."_

 _Tora raised an eyebrow and plucked another cigarette from his top pocket. He threw it toward Usui, who deftly caught it with one hand. "Didn't take you for a smoker, Takumi."_

 _Usui placed the filter into his mouth and gestured to Tora. "Light?"_

" _Sure," he replied, amused. He lit his own before tossing the Zippo across the room. Usui gave him a nod and flicked the lighter open. Tora turned away from him and began to pour two glasses of gin. "So, what brings you here this evening?"_

 _Usui let out a smoke-filled breath. "Ayuzawa."_

 _Igarashi smirked as he turned back to Usui and placed one of the glasses on the coffee table in front of him._

" _I see."_

 _Usui took another drag on his cigarette and picked up the glass, fingers delicately holding the rim. He looked directly at Tora as he sat down opposite him. "I told her I loved her."_

 _Igarashi sipped his drink casually, though Usui noticed the way his eyes darkened and his muscles tensed. The Heir placed his glass back on the table and rested his hand on his chin._

" _And why did you deem that necessary to tell me?" he asked, flatly. "I couldn't give a damn about your romantic inclinations, Takumi."_

" _Because I want you to stay away from her," Usui replied. His grip tightened around the glass. "And to warn you that if you interfere with her life again, I will break your legs."_

" _Interfere," Tora repeated, slowly. A small smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. "And if Misaki wants to speak to me?"_

 _Usui scowled. "Stay-"_

" _Isn't that her choice?" Tora interrupted. "I'm sure she wouldn't approve of you making her choices for her."_

 _Usui let out an irritated sigh and thick smoke plumed from his mouth. "If she wishes it, there isn't much I can do, is there?"_

" _Quite," Igarashi laughed lightly. He took a short sip of his drink, wincing slightly at the harsh burn when it hit his tongue. "I won't seek her out, if that's what you mean."_

" _Thank you," the other man replied. He raised the glass to his mouth and took a large gulp. "I also needed to ask your advice."_

 _Tora leaned back and stretched his arms out over the back of the couch. "If you want instructions on how to please her, Takumi, I'd be only happy to oblige."_

 _Usui sent him a dark glare. "Obviously not."_

" _I'm joking. Carry on."_

 _He placed his drink back on the table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "I haven't told her yet."_

" _Told her what?" Tora replied, raising an eyebrow. As the other man opened his mouth to speak, something clicked in Igarashi's mind. "Oh - you must be referring to your heritage."_

" _Obviously," Usui replied, tapping his cigarette into the ashtray. "I'm not certain how she will handle it."_

" _How do you think?" the other man asked. "She is a woman who prides herself on working hard for her means. What do you imagine she thinks of people who have everything handed to them on a silver platter?"_

 _Usui tensed and placed the cigarette back in his mouth. Igarashi smirked and turned to look out of the window._

" _Probably the same as she thinks of me," Tora continued. He began to roll the famil-crested ring on his finger under his thumb._

" _She would never put me in the same box as you," Usui replied. He glanced over at the other man, who was still looking away from him. The dying sun pierced his gold eyes but he didn't seem to even blink._

" _You're just as arrogant as I am, just as wealthy. We're both plutocrats. The only difference is that I am honest with her."_

" _Honest? You-"_

" _Well, aren't I?" Tora interrupted. "I never concealed my heritage, nor my attraction to her. Hell, you even concealled your real name, Takumi."_

 _Usui frowned and drew in a deep drag of his cigarette. He blew out the smoke as Tora turned his head back to face him._

" _I didn't think it was important."_

" _How is that not important?"_

 _The longer-haired man grit his teeth together. "I never thought Gerard would be the one to extend an olive branch. Over the past month things have developed very quickly. I am required to go to England to make my first appearance as a member of the Walker family as soon as this term has ended."_

" _Are you required to stay in England?" Tora asked, raising a brow._

" _No," Usui answered. He let out a deep sigh. "But I don't know how Gerard will react to Misaki. Or how she'll react to this. It's a messy situation."_

 _Tora stared at him stonily. "It might not have been so messy had you not ignored it for such a long time."_

" _I'm not here to be insulted, Igarashi," Usui said, glaring back. "I'm here for your advice. What do I do?"_

 _Igarashi bent his elbow and rested his cheek on his knuckles. "Do you wish to be with Misaki?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Then you have to tell her everything," he replied. He tried his best to keep his anger clear from his voice. It was an unexpected reaction, he hadn't expected to be so riled by the thought of Misaki Ayuzawa in another man's arms. "She's not going to fuck a liar."_

" _She already has," Usui snapped, angrily. His rage-filled expression dropped as soon as the words he had spoken registered in his mind. "I mean-"_

 _Tora snorted derisively. "Talk to her. Go to England, become a public part of the Walker family. The rest is up to Misaki."_

 _Usui nodded and stubbed out his cigarette. He stood from his seat and gave Tora a curt nod. "Thank you."_

" _Don't mention it," he replied, tone saturated with sarcasm. Usui headed to the door as Tora stood up from his seat and placed another cigarette in his mouth. The longer-haired man turned back to him as his hand was on the doorknob._

" _I won't lose to you Igarashi," he stated. The Heir stared him down, silently. "I love her."_

 _He left without further comment, leaving Tora alone and seething. The blonde sparked the end of his cigarette and threw the lighter on his desk angrily. Fucking idiot, he thought. To think that he could love Misaki - utterly ridiculous. Love was weak. Their relationship was formed through a mutual hatred for one another, not love. He took a long drag of the cigarette, sighing as the tobacco-stained smoke filled his lungs. Without the look of hateful lust in her eyes, she wouldn't be half as interesting._

 _He ignored the sickness that churned his stomach and sat down at his desk to work._

-0-

"No way that was a guy."

"I really don't see how you could mistake Yukimura for a girl!"

"I would have fucked him regardless, he was pretty."

"Yeah, sure."

The blonde hummed. "I've fucked my fair share of men. Probably more than you."

"Well, good for you, Casanova."

Igarashi flicked his lighter open and held the open flame up to the end of the cigarette that dangled from his lips. Two empty boxes of pizza and multiple pots of half-eaten dip were strewn across the dinner table in front of him and Misaki was _still_ making her way through the tub of ice-cream that came as dessert. Though the food was far from what he was used to, he was satiated. It had probably be the first meal he'd eaten in days and it was enhanced by the pleasant conversation exchanged with the woman opposite him. They had spoken of their school days, of their respective duties as Student Council President and their years since graduation. They debated academic and political matters and outlined their future plans to one another. Neither spoke of their love lives. Misaki avoided the subject of Usui and Tora of the stress that came with his position. Both were trying to ignore how comfortable they felt with one another and swallowed their feelings with wine.

"Really?" she asked, quirking a brow.

"Really what?" Tora replied, blowing out a puff of smoke.

Misaki leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. "I didn't know you were bisexual."

"I'm not."

"But-"

"I'm not anything. I don't see gender as an issue if I'm going to get off. I'm not looking for love and frankly, I'm not fussy," he answered, nonchalantly. He noted her face flush a deep scarlet. "Does that bother you?"

"Not at all, I just didn't expect you to, uh - you got any more of this?" Misaki asked, waving her empty glass at him.

Tora nodded and pushed his chair away from the table, getting to his feet. "Nice avoidance. You're drinking like a fish, Ayuzawa. Slow down."

The woman snorted and placed her glass back on the table. "That's a bit rich coming from you."

Igarashi smirked as he crouched by the kitchen cabinet to retrieve another two bottles of red. "Everything's rich coming from me."

"Oh har-har," Misaki answered, rolling her eyes.

He set a bottle down beside her and bent at the waist so he could lean in closer. "Don't get too drunk or Takumi will think I'm trying to intoxicate you."

She stared at him blankly, then pushed his shoulder so he took a step away from her. His proximity made her uncomfortable. Not because she found him threatening but for reasons she tried to push to the back of her mind. Instead, she turned her head back to her glass and ignored the intense, golden stare from above.

"I'll drink what I like," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Usui doesn't own me."

Tora chuckled and moved back around the table to his seat. He picked up his discarded cigarette from the ashtray and continued to smoke. "How are things with that idiot, anyway?"

Misaki felt her stomach turn - this was not a topic she wished to discuss with Igarashi. She reached for the bottle of wine in front of her and poured herself another large glass. "Good, I guess. A bit overwhelming since the whole 'Walker' situation came to light."

The man took a long drag of his cigarette, observing her quietly. It was the first time she had spoken his real name in front of him and she already seemed tense. "It must have been quite a shock, especially to a commoner like you. But wasn't that a while back?"

She glared at him. "Shut your mouth."

Tora chuckled and held up his hands in defence. "Joking, joking."

"Yes, it was a shock. Things have been difficult. I enjoy being with him but…," she trailed off, her scowl fading into an unhappy smile. "I've spent a few years in this environment and I still miss how things used to be. Everything was so much easier before Usui was a Walker."

Igarashi cocked his head to one side and rested his chin on his hand. "We miss the past because it is the only reference point we have. Look forward."

"I know," she sighed. "But it is so difficult to be excited about the future when you've been so suddenly thrust into a world that is alien to you. I'm very uncertain."

"Uncertain of what?" he asked, harshly. Her forehead wrinkled as her brows knotted together with stress. "You love Takumi, he loves you. That sounds certain to me."

"But, there are so many other things!" she said, exasperated. Her fingers clenched her glass tighter. "I have dreams, things I want to do outside of my relationship with Usui. I don't want to be the kind of lover who relies on their rich partner for everything. He knows this, of course. But things have been so hectic and stressful, he seems to have forgotten I am a separate person. Every week he needs to jet off to another country and he expects me to join him. I've had to take terms out from studying to accompany him and now - now I'm no further toward my own dreams than I was three years ago. I'm still here, waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Tora asked, slightly surprised by her sudden outburst. It was very unlike Misaki to say her feelings so readily. Perhaps it was the wine.

The woman shrugged and took a large gulp of wine, trying to blink back her sadness. Why was she telling Igarashi this? Despite being far from a friend, the man was strangely open and easy to talk to. "Waiting for him to notice me again, I don't know. Notice me in the sense that I am not just some add-on. I don't want to spend the rest of my life following him and moving away from the things I've always wanted to do."

Tora watched her silently, taking short drags from his cigarette. The smoke lingered in the space between them, tendrils curling around Misaki's shoulders in a comforting action he was too cowardly to give her himself.

"Do you want to stay with him?" he asked, slowly.

Misaki looked back up at him, face flushing red with anger. "I-."

"An honest answer to the question would be appreciated," he replied, smoke dripping from his mouth as he spoke.

"It's none of your business!" she snapped. Angrily, she waved the smoke away and grit her teeth together. "Enough about Usui. Why don't you tell me why you look like a fucking walking corpse?"

"A corpse?" he repeated, dryly. He decided not to push her further on the Usui issue, clearly it was a sore subject. Sore for her, interesting for him.

"You're so _thin_ , Igarashi," Misaki commented, gesturing toward him. "And your eyes are so sunken you look like an addict. Oh God, you're not-"

"Not I am not!" he snarled, snatching up his glass. He peered down the the dregs of wine that lingered near the stem. "I have a lot of work on, so I don't get a lot of free time."

Misaki scoffed. "You know free time isn't meant to include eating and sleeping, right? Free time is just for fun, not essentials."

"It takes a lot to be successful, Misaki. I thought you would have known that by now."

"You never seemed that worried before. In fact, you prioritised your social life, did you not?"

They glared at one another, fired up from respective comments on the cracks in their lives. Eventually, Tora sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"This is not to be repeated," he ordered, fixing her with a stern stare. She nodded in response. "My Father is dying. I am the Heir to this company, therefore I need to learn everything I can to maintain its success after he is gone. I spent a lot of time messing around - I have a lot to learn."

Misaki's face softened and she placed her glass back down on the table. "I'm sorry, Igarashi."

"You don't need to pity me," he retorted, annoyed. "Everyone dies."

She flushed slightly and clenched her fist on the table. "I'm not pitying you, you idiot. I'm just sa- sorry. But you know, you shouldn't break your back so badly that you burn out and make yourself ill. I'm sure that's not what your Father would want for you."

Tora stared at her, wide eyed. He reached forward and stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray. His frown dissipated and a small smile stretched across his face. "Regardless, I will do my best. It is more about what I want for my Father and his legacy, not the other way around."

Misaki smiled, rolling her head to one side. He looked back up at her and cocked an eyebrow curiously. "You look rather handsome when you smile like that, Tora."

The man froze and groaned internally when he felt his cheeks heat up. He leaned back in his chair, flustered slightly. The woman never failed to affect him in a way no other could.

"I-I," he stammered. Misaki snickered, causing him to flush further. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Sorry," she giggled, reaching again for her glass. "Anyway, enough sour business. Aside from work, what do you get up to? Are you seeing anyone at the moment?"

Tora snorted into his glass and placed it back on the table. "I barely have time to see myself in the mirror, Ayuzawa. What makes you think I have time to pander to a lover?"

She shrugged and picked up the discarded crust of pizza, chewing it thoughtfully. "To be perfectly honest, I thought you would be with someone for personal gain rather than love. Don't look at me like that, you know what I mean."

He stared at her incredulously. "Do you really think so little of me?"

Misaki shook her head frantically and held up a hand. "No, no! That's not what I meant, I-"

"You think I'm incapable of affection?"

"Well, I don't know!" she answered, flustered. "Have you ever _really_ liked someone?"

As soon as the question left her lips, she regretted it. He fixed her gaze for a moment, uncertain of how to proceed. He stood up and moved to the window, taking his drink with him. Misaki followed, curiously and looked out at the breath-taking view from beside him. Slowly, he drew in a breath and took a sip of wine. The liquid tasted sour when mixed with the truth that threatened to leave his lips and he quickly settled his glass back on the table. Casting aside all rational thought, all sense, all dignity, he spoke.

"You," he said, seriously. "I liked you."

Misaki stiffened and the colour drained from her face. What now? Why did he have to say it? She recognised the look on his face - from all those years ago, when he had kissed her before she left his room, when she had stopped him from saying their relationship was anything more than 'enemies'. And worst of all, her heart began to flutter, her stomach turned and she could not look away.

"Why did you say that?" she asked, weakly. "Don't spoil t-"

"Spoil what?" Tora replied, brows furrowing. "There's nothing between us to spoil."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You're right, sorry."

Tora pursed his lips in annoyance. "Besides, I said _liked._ Past tense. And even then, I wasn't sure if there was anything romantic about the way I felt, or if you were just...different. I think I may have confused hating you with liking you. You interested me because you were fiery and staunchly independent. Hell, you slapped me in the face."

"Multiple times," Misaki added, smirking.

"Quite," he answered, returning her wicked smile. "So unless there is some misplaced emotion coming from your end, Ayuzawa, there is nothing to spoil."

She hung her head slightly and looked down into her drink. There was nothing to spoil, was there? Any feeling she may have for Igarashi was entirely eclipsed by her love for Usui that there seemed little point in dwelling on it, not when he had so clearly stated that he no longer had any romantic feeling for her. And even if he did - her and Tora? The thought almost made her laugh. She hated him, didn't she? Still, in the back of her mind she felt a little dejected by his omission. She sucked in a breath and looked back at him, thinking of green eyes. No, this was final. A line had to be drawn.

"Nothing," she said, raising her glass.

He grinned and tilted his drink toward her. They both drank deeply, hollow, lying.

-0-

 _They met once, between their night together and the party years later. They had both graduated and were intending to leave their homes to move to the city, in search of something more exciting. Summer had arrived and the intense heat in the city drove many to seek cooler temperatures in the countryside. Misaki had been whisked away with the Maid Latte staff on another retreat to the beach whilst Usui travelled to England to visit his family for the third time. The two Seika students had been testing the waters of their romantic relationship, though she was hesitant to commit entirely. His newly-realised status daunted her and, despite his reassurances, she was still uneasy about letting her guard down. The past year had been hectic, to say the least, so she appreciated the time away with her friends._

 _It was the afternoon and the sun was almost unbearably hot for most, meaning that the beach was rather empty. Misaki happily strolled through the shallows, cooling her feet in the clear water, when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She spun around, expecting to see one of her co-workers. What she did not expect was Tora Igarashi, wearing nothing but a pair of sunglasses and swim shorts. He was covered in droplets of water and his light blonde hair was slick against his scalp, clearly having just come from the ocean. His pale skin was a few shades darker than usual - he must have been out in the sun for a while._

" _Igarashi!" she said, surprised. "What on Earth are you doing here?"_

 _He grinned at her and pointed just over her shoulder. "My family owns a hotel on the beachfront over there. A few of the Miyabigaoka Student Council came out here for a little graduation retreat."_

 _Misaki nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. She was glad she had worn a baggy shirt and a pair of shorts, no doubt Igarashi would have overly-enjoyed her maid-cum-bikini outfit. "I see. Were you swimming?"_

" _Yeah, but I'm tired," he said, running a hand through his wet hair to sweep it away from his forehead. He looked her up and down, then gave her a coy smile. "What brings you here? I didn't know commoners could afford holidays."_

 _The woman growled under her breath, much to his amusement. "Shut up, Igarashi! If you must know, I'm here with-"_

 _From the way she trailed off and her face flushed red, he could tell who she was there with. "Maid Latte co-workers?"_

 _Misaki looked down at her feet and unconsciously wiggled her toes in the sand, feeling uncomfortable. "Yeah. The manager's sister owns Ocean House. We do some work and she lets us stay, it's a pretty good deal."_

" _I see," Tora replied, smirking. "So I may get to see you in your Maid uniform, hmm?"_

" _No you will not!" she snapped, clenching her fists. Tora laughed, amused by her over-the-top reaction. "I've finished work today."_

 _He chuckled darkly and pushed his sunglasses back so that they rested on his head. "Well, if you've nothing else to do - which clearly you don't, seeing as you're just walking aimlessly along the coast - will you join me for a drink?"_

 _Misaki bit her lip. After a moment of consideration, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Why not? Sure."_

 _Igarashi nodded, pleased, and began walking up the beach. He picked up a discarded rucksack a few feet away and removed a water bottle from the outer pocket before slinging the bag over his shoulder. He drank deeply, letting out a satisfied sigh before offering it to the woman behind him. She shook her head and scuttled after him, clumsily stumbling as the sand clung to her feet. He caught her deftly before she could fall and chastised her for being such a clutz. This action was repeated at least four more times before they reached the boardwalk and Misaki could finally keep her footing._

" _Idiot. I'm covered in fucking sand," he muttered, swiping the grains off his arms and torso. "Can you walk properly now, or do I have to carry you like a sack of potatoes?"_

 _Misaki scowled at him and dusted off her shorts. Her many trips had sprayed his wet body with sand and it now clung to him like a second skin. She raised her hand instinctively and brushed the slowly drying grains from his shoulders. Unbeknownst to her, Igarashi tensed at the soft touch of her fingers across his skin and shuddered softly when she smoothed over his collarbone._

" _There," she announced, irritably. "You never quit whining, do you Igarashi?"_

" _Shut your mouth, let's go," he replied, rolling his eyes. He removed a breezy white shirt from his bag and pulled it over his shoulders, buttoning it up hurriedly. As they ambled down the boardwalk, he pulled out a towel and rubbed it over his head, causing his hair to stick out at odd angles. Misaki giggled, but quickly stifled the noise with her hand when he turned to glare at her._

" _Your hair is a bit-" she began, gesturing wildly about her head. "-all over the place."_

" _Got it," he replied, icily. He patted his hair back into its usual style and slung the towel around his neck. "The hotel is just up there, we'll go sit in the outside bar."_

" _Sure," she replied, peering down the boardwalk. It was obvious which building belonged to the Igarashi Conglomerate - the enormous, expensive looking Grecian-style hotel, of course. She laced her hands together in front of her and bit her lip nervously. "Will any of the other Miyabigaoka students be there?"_

 _Tora glanced at her, curiously. "Why, do they scare you?"_

 _Misaki scoffed. "No, obviously not. I just uh - well, I barely get along with you. I don't know how I would deal with a whole room of Igarashis."_

 _He chuckled. "Don't worry, they're out at the hot springs. I doubt they will be home until tomorrow afternoon."_

" _Oh," she said, pleased. "How come you didn't go to the springs? They're beautiful."_

" _Not really my kind of thing," he answered, blankly. He unzipped his bag and pulled out a packet of cigarettes, shoving one into his mouth._

 _Misaki raised an eyebrow. "What is your kind of thing?"_

 _He flicked open his lighter and gave her a pointed look. "Somewhere that serves alcohol."_

" _You're such an ass."_

 _They didn't enter the hotel via the main entrance, instead heading down a smaller boardwalk and up a flight of wooden stairs to a beautiful terrace that looked out over the sea. Tables were dotted around the wooden-panelled area, interspersed with enormous floral decorations and wrought iron lights. She could see tiny strings of lights threaded about above the terrace, though these had yet to be turned on as the sun was still bright. A number of people were sat across the terrace, eating, drinking and conversing pleasantly._

 _Tora maneuvered through the patrons until he reached the end of the terrace closest to the beach, then flopped down into a chair at a two-person table. Misaki followed close behind, glancing around the terrace at the fellow customers._

" _I feel a little bit under-dressed," she hissed at Tora. "They all look like they've come straight from a fucking Gatsby party."_

 _Tora shrugged and gestured to his own clothes, letting out a large cloud of smoke from his mouth. "Who cares?"_

 _He pushed a menu toward her as a waiter swiftly arrived at his side. Misaki looked down at the booklet and balked at the prices, eyes bulging in her head. When she looked back up the waiter had disappeared and Tora was casually tapping his cigarette into an ashtray._

" _I can't even afford bottled water here," she said, sourly._

 _He waved his hand and held his cigarette back up to his mouth. "I don't have to pay for anything here, go crazy."_

" _That's not-"_

" _Plus, I invited you here. Stop whining, Ayuzawa, you know you won't convince me otherwise."_

 _She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking out at the waves as they rolled up the beach. "It's a beautiful location."_

" _There are nicer locations," he replied, taking a drag from his cigarette._

 _Before she could open her mouth to reply, the waiter returned and set an ice bucket and two glasses down in front of them. Tora thanked the man and pointed to a number of items on the menu. The waiter nodded and hurried off, leaving the couple alone again._

" _Champagne," Tora stated, pulling the large bottle out of the ice bucket. "And I ordered for you, seeing as you're so damn stubborn."_

 _Misaki flushed, annoyed. "You don't have to show off, Igarashi. It's not nice."_

" _I'm not showing off," he replied, coolly. "I don't have anything to prove to you."_

" _What do you mean?" she asked, frowning. He handed her a full glass, which she accepted hesitantly._

 _Tora sighed as he poured himself a drink. "I'm not showing off because I know this sort of stuff doesn't impress you. I'm just being myself, this is what I always do."_

" _I believe that," she chuckled, amused. "Well - thank you, then."_

" _You can repay me by letting me come to your beachfront Maid Cafe."_

" _Fuck off."_

 _The food came and went, as did another bottle of champagne. They taunted each other with tales of their Presidential reign and who would make a better real-life President in the future. They argued about law, a subject they were interested in and Tora sat back to listen when Misaki began to speak about things he hadn't even begun to study. She listened with equal interest when he talked of his business ventures and how an idea became reality within the Conglomerate. The temperature had dropped and a pleasant wind blew gently across the shore, giving relief to the beachgoers who still frolicked in the sea. As the sun sunk lower in the sky, Misaki leaned back in her chair, hands folding over her stomach in satisfaction. A near licked-clean plate was placed in front of her, only remnants of the expensive food spattered across the china. Tora reclined in his chair, relaxed, towel swung over the back of his chair and top buttons of his shirt undone. The heat of the summer afternoon caused a sheen of sweat to cling to their skin and they both sipped on their drinks to cool. They had been sat together for nearly three hours and Misaki was surprised that Tora had not managed to upset the mood between them yet._

 _The moment just before she left his house after their night together lingered in her mind. She was reminded that Igarashi could be a genuinely attractive man. Not merely an object of lust, or a persuasive, alluring fuck, but something beautiful. They joked together and he would laugh, accompanied by a handsome smile that caused more sweat to rise on her skin. As they discussed academic matters, his brow would furrow in thought. Usui's warning still rang strong in her mind as she surveyed him._

' _Please be careful.'_

 _There seemed very little to be wary of at first glance. Tora was staring down at his plate, gently turning over a piece of egg white with his fork, a small smile on his face. He seemed content. But the longer she stared at him, the more oddities she noticed. His plate was still laden with food, as it always was. He never seemed to eat, not in front of others at least. It gave him a strange, inhuman quality, as if air, wine and cigarettes were all the sustenance he needed. The smile appeared genuine, though did not match his absent, empty gaze. There were fractures in his mask of sanity that could not be hidden be an attractive smile._

 _She leaned forward to pick up her beverage, blowing gently upwards to move the damp hair from her forehead. "How much longer are you staying here?"_

 _Tora smiled at her and began to roll up the left sleeve of his shirt. "Another week or so. Then I have to fly out to New York to observe some of my Father's work."_

 _"I see," Misaki replied, placing her drink back on the table. "New York sounds exciting!"_

 _Tora cocked his head. "I suppose. I've been there before. It's a vibrant city but the people are a bit brash."_

 _"So you'll fit right in," she laughed._

 _"How about you?" he asked, fixing her with a stare._

 _Misaki smiled gently and held his gaze. "Until the end of Summer. Then I start my studies."_

 _Tora chuckled and let his fork clatter back down onto his plate. "Good luck."_

 _"Thank you," she answered, looking back out over the sea. For a moment, they sat in silence, both thinking on their futures. "It's going to be odd, having everything change."_

" _Yeah," he replied, vacantly. He leaned on his hand and watched as the waves rolled further up the beach. Briefly, he stole a glance at Misaki and swallowed thickly. "How is Takumi?"_

 _The woman looked back at him, slightly surprised. "He's fine, I guess. He's over in England at the moment, so I haven't seen much of him."_

 _Tora raised an eyebrow - so Usui had finally told her about his heritage. "Are you two-?"_

" _We're not a couple, no," she said, tone strangely stony. "He seems quite eager to rush things, but I'm still not sure what I want."_

" _That's a surprise," he commented. She sent him a quizzical look. "Well, I thought he would have locked you down by now. He's obviously smitten with you."_

 _Misaki smiled softly. "Stupid Usui."_

 _Tora frowned and jammed another cigarette into his mouth. He spoke quietly. "Don't make me wait forever."_

 _He froze, realising his mistake. Misaki cocked her head to one side and tapped her ear. "Speak up, Igarashi. I didn't catch that."_

 _His sudden panic relented a little. Thank God for that. "Don't make him wait forever."_

 _The woman looked back at him when she heard the familiar click of his lighter. His brows were furrowed in anger and when he pulled the tube out of his mouth his lips settled into a hard line. He blew out a stream of smoke and leaned against the arm of his seat, letting his cheek rest on his hand. His cold, golden eyes caught her gaze._

" _Stay with me tonight," he said. His voice was unusually soft, almost as if he were imploring her, rather than ordering. The tone was a contrast to the ferocity of his gaze._

 _Misaki felt her heart race and her stomach twisted nervously. "What?"_

" _Stay here tonight, with me," he repeated. He ignored the tight squeezing sensation in his stomach._

" _Do you mean-?"_

" _No," he interrupted, sharply waving his hand. "Not if you don't want to. I just mean - stay."_

 _Misaki opened her mouth and tried to gather her thoughts, uncertain of what to say. "Igarashi, I don't understand."_

" _You were right," he began, raising his glass to his lips. "What you said, before you left my house. I am somewhat lonely. And I would appreciate your company just a little longer."_

 _She took a long sip of her drink, emptying the glass. Slowly, she set the vessel down and swallowed thickly, looking back out at the sea. The waves slid smoothly up the shoreline, filling the air with the sound of the water breaking against the sand. Staying with Igarashi - would it be a bad idea? The night had been good so far, why shouldn't she continue? Especially as Tora, the stubborn Ox, had asked. Misaki tried to still her shaking hands by lacing them together in her lap. Her thoughts drifted to Usui - how would he feel about this? Undeniable terrible, she sighed, biting her lip. But they weren't a couple at this point, were they? The darker regions of her mind were imploring her to give in and stop ignoring her latent feelings for the man sat in front of her. She had gotten him out of her dreams the first time, perhaps after this he would disappear entirely._

" _Okay," she answered, glancing back at him. "I'll stay."_

" _Only for tonight," Tora reiterated, gaze softening. "This is the last time."_

 _She watched him nervously as he stood and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He placed his hands into his pockets then jerked his head toward the hotel._

" _Follow me," he stated, blankly._

" _Where are we going?" Misaki replied, biting her lip._

 _Tora strode closer to her and bent at the waist so he was at her eye level. He smirked as she shrank back slightly. "Do I make you nervous?"_

 _Misaki scoffed, though she felt her heart pound harder. "No, I-"_

 _Her words trailed off into stammers when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the side of her throat. One of his hands slid around her skull and gripped the hair at the back of her head tightly, causing her to groan. She felt her cheeks heat up and her stomach turned. His lips caressed the skin behind her ear for a moment longer, sending shivers down her spine, before he moved back to whisper softly to her._

" _Do I make you nervous?" he repeated, breath gently hitting her skin. He leaned back and released her hair, a smug smile on his face._

 _Misaki let out a shaky breath and gathered her thoughts. He certainly did make her nervous, but she could never let him know that. She was not afraid of his character, but rather the way he made her feel, how he could elicit such strong reactions through such small actions. That he could distract her from her obvious love for Usui terrified her. There was no love between them - so what was it?_

 _A scowl spread across her face. Tora was about to laugh when she reached forward and grabbed a fistful of his collar, roughly pulling him back down to her. She fixed his gaze with narrow eyes, pleased with the shocked expression he was giving her._

" _You couldn't make me nervous if you held a gun to my head," she hissed. Before he could respond, she pulled him closer and captured his lips in a kiss._

 _Their mouths didn't separate until she shoved him back against the wall of his hotel room, slamming the door behind her. He yanked her closer and caught her lips again, hungry for the sweet taste on her tongue. The woman groaned and clutched his upper arms tightly, nails pressing painfully into his skin. As his hands wrapped around her waist, her fingers danced over his chest, deftly flicking open the buttons. They both pulled back for air, still partially undressing the other._

" _This is the last time," he panted. He wrenched her shirt over her head as she pushed his off his shoulders. Her fingernails raked down his chest, leaving thick red lines on his skin. Tora moaned and pulled her closer by yanking on her throat. "Uh, fuck Misaki-"_

" _Never again," she agreed, voice croaking slightly under the pressure of his hold. "Tighter."_

 _Tora's eyes narrowed. He pushed her backwards until they both fell onto the bed, him straddling her waist. The hand on her neck tightened until she gave out a strangled moan of pleasure. As soon as her hands moved to touch his fingers, he released his grip, not wishing to push her past her limits._

" _Hit me," he ordered, leaning back on his heels. Misaki raised an eyebrow and propped herself up on her elbows. "I said, hi-"_

 _He was cut off when she slapped him hard across the face. Before he had time to look back at her, she had swiped her hand back, striking his other cheek with just as much force. The man fell to one side, rolling onto his back next to her. Misaki quickly took the upper hand and straddled his hips. She placed her hands on either side of his head and leaned down, so their noses almost touched._

" _Didn't peg you for a masochist, Igarashi," she hissed, gripping his chin in her hand._

 _He let out a breathy chuckle. Seeing her above him, so beautiful, so powerful - fuck he could barely control his lust. "It's exhilarating."_

 _Misaki laughed. He sat upright, taking her with him, and began to knead one of her breasts gently in his hand. The woman groaned softly as he circled her nipple with a barely-there touch._

" _Although," he added, smirking. He pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger so hard that she let out a loud cry of pain. He released it shortly after and began rubbing it gently, laughing happily. "It isn't quite as exciting as giving it."_

 _Misaki grit her teeth together as he applied the same brutal pressure to the other breast, not wanting to scream a second time. Tora seemed to notice and tutted at her._

" _Come on now, Misaki," he whispered, kissing the skin of her throat gently. "Scream for me, you know I love it."_

" _F-fuck you," she panted, body twisting in pain. Tora chuckled darkly and latched onto her neck, his fang-like teeth cutting deeply into her soft skin. He pinched both her nipples roughly and began to pull. The combined feelings were too much for her to handle and she began to scream. "T-Tora, please, oh God please-"_

 _He withdrew from her neck and dropped his hands from her reddened breasts. The look on his face when he took in her pained expression was feral._

" _Do you even know what you do to me?" he asked, voice dark and low. He grabbed the back of her head and tugged on her hair. "Mine."_

 _The word registered briefly in her mind before his lips crashed onto hers._

 _-0-_

The cityscape was beautiful. Misaki leaned against the railings of the balcony, holding her glass between her fingers. She smiled as she watched the ant-like cars crawling along the far-away roads. From up here, her troubles seemed as distant as the headlights that faded into the mountains on the outskirts of the city. The woman raised her glass and finished the dregs of her drink. Her night with Igarashi had been pleasant, uncomfortably so. Her thoughts drifted to Usui and her smile widened. She never doubted her love for him. Then why did her stomach fill with butterflies when Igarashi smirked at her? Why did she care for him? Why couldn't she stop herself from coming back to him? What a mess. The sound of a cork popping from a bottle came from inside. Misaki closed her eyes and sighed, enjoying the feel of the cool wind on her skin. She tried to clear her thoughts, breathing deeply.

Igarashi moved silently out of the apartment onto the balcony, gaze focused on Misaki. In one hand he held an uncorked bottle of champagne. His eyes flicked up and down her body as he neared her, a pleased grin spreading over his lips. Why not have a little fun like he used to? It wouldn't harm anything. He quietly moved behind her and placed his arms on either side of her, leaning against the railing. The woman stiffened and her body arched away from him, much to his pleasure. Tora leaned forward, speaking close and hushed in her ear.

"Did you want another drink?" he asked, softly. He smirked when she shivered at the feeling of his breath on her neck.

Misaki blinked and drew in a shaky breath. Igarashi wasn't playing fair, this was entirely inappropriate. Her heart pounded harder and she felt her cheeks flush. His body was so close she could feel his warmth up the length of her back. She turned slowly, expecting him to move back. He didn't. Instead, she was still trapped between his arms, his tall form leaning over her. She pressed herself as far back into the railings as possible. Tora started to move closer, so she held up her glass and pressed her knuckles into his chest so he was forced to stop. He looked down at her hand, then back to her reddened face and raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yes," she answered, gesturing to the empty glass. "Another please."

The man smirked. "Are you alright? You look sweaty."

Misaki scowled at him. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing. "I'm fine. I was trying to enjoy the view."

Tora took the glass from her hand and started to fill her glass with the pale, bubbly liquid. She glanced at him while he was looking away from her. Smug satisfaction was the predominant expression on his face, which irked her greatly. He looked back up and handed her back the filled glass. Their eyes met for a moment. Long enough for him to lose a grip on his self control. Tora reached forward and placed his hands on the side of her head, cradling her jaw gently.

"What-" she began.

Misaki was cut off when he pressed his lips against hers. She stood stock still at first, shocked by his sudden actions. His lips were gentle, they moved slowly as if imploring her to react. She clenched her glass tighter and placed her other hand against his chest, prepared to push him back. But, during the movement of kiss, a half-whispered sound fell from between their lips.

"Please," he breathed. It was so quiet, he almost seemed to be speaking to himself.

Tora felt his stomach twist when he felt the hand against his chest move up to hold the back of his neck and she began to kiss him back. Something hot and wet dripped smeared against his cheek as their faces moved from side to side. He opened his eyes to see hers squeezed tightly shut. Tears leaked from between her eyelids and down between their skin. Eventually, she ended the kiss and they pressed their foreheads together. He dropped his hands from her head to her shoulders, stroking known sensitive spots on the way. They stared each other down, both gazes filled with anger.

"I hate you," she whimpered, weakly. It was true - she hated him for making her doubt her choices, for being the one temptation she could never say no to. The hand on the back of his neck slid up and her fingers twisted into his hair.

Tora growled under his breath and kissed her roughly. One of his hands wound around her waist and settled at the small of her back whilst the other snuck across her collarbone and his fingers gripped her throat firmly.

"I hate you too," he groaned. It was true - he hated how she made him weak, how she saw through his bravado so easily. He pulled her closer and the glass in her hand fell to the floor, shattering around their feet.

The woman stared up at him with wide eyes, the sound of breaking glass forcing her back to reality. His grip on her body loosened. She felt fresh tears roll down her cheeks and only began to cry harder when he softly wiped them away with his thumb. Tora pulled her closer again, so that her head rested against his chest and his arms were able to wind around her shoulders. She wept noisily, dampening his shirt and began to pound her fists softly against his chest.

"This isn't fair," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "This isn't right. What do I do? What do I do?"

Tora smoothed a hand up and down her back, uncertain of what to do. He wasn't used to this feeling, this odd burning in his chest. What it was, he still couldn't say. "I don't know."

Misaki's rhythmic pounding on his chest grew harder, but he didn't still his soothing action on her back. Eventually she stilled and her hands rested limply on his pectorals. She looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen.

"I don't love you," she stated, bluntly.

Tora considered her words carefully to see how he would react. He didn't feel saddened by her words and the odd burning in his chest didn't cease. He nodded. "I don't love you either."

She observed him silently. Her hands dropped from his chest and he took a step back, creating space between them. The shattered glass crunched beneath his shoes.

"I don't love Usui," she said, quietly. "Not anymore."

"He was lucky to have it in the first place," Tora replied. The man stepped beside her and leaned down against the railings, looking out at the city. "Personally I think you are wasted on either of us. You have so much you wish to do, people like us would only hold you back."

Misaki folded her arms over her chest and held herself comfortingly. She sighed deeply and turned back toward the door to his apartment. "I need to get home, Igarashi. Thank you for dinner."

The man stood up and watched her as she retreated indoors. "Always a pleasure, Miss Ayuzawa. Let me call you a car."


	4. Chapter 4

I know I said this would be the last chapter folks, but I've got a short epilogue to come. Hope you enjoy.

-0-

 _Misaki never wanted to hurt him, but she couldn't stay if her heart didn't wish it. Her mind was set, the decision was made before he entered their apartment but that didn't make the process any less difficult._

 _At first he was angry. He blamed Igarashi, he wanted to know if there was something between them. She told the truth - she cared for the other man but not nearly as much as she cared for him. Regardless, this wasn't about Tora. After that, Usui's face crumpled. Gently, he began to plead with her, he dropped to his knees in front of her and begged her to reconsider. He apologised profusely for being ignorant, he told her she didn't have to follow him, that he would always support her. Misaki held him close while he cried and stroked his hair soothingly for hours._

 _She sobbed for hours after he left for his business meeting the next morning. Usui gave her a tired, but caring smile and told her that he would always love her, even if just as a friend. He kissed her forehead and thanked her for the best years of his life. His voice shook and she noticed tears forming in the corner of his eye as he departed. When she was alone, she cracked and her knees buckled beneath her. Part of her was in agony at the thought of waking without him beside her. She so desperately desired things to be as comfortable and easy as they had been when they were younger, but knew that it was an impossibility. The past could never be brought back. Her thoughts drifted briefly to Igarashi, then shook her head. The man had caused nothing but trouble in her life but she lingered on his last piece of advice to her._

 _"Personally I think you are wasted on either of us. You have so much you wish to do, people like us would only hold you back."_

 _The only thing to do was prepare for the murky future and appreciate the blissful memories of what had passed. She stood on shaking legs and stifled her cries, alone._

-0-

They were 28 the next time they met.

Across the years, Igarashi kept a vague eye on her from afar, reading articles about the cancellation of her engagement, her pro bono work and her move to a Tokyo law firm. It never seemed appropriate to contact her, though he thought of her often. It wasn't that he didn't wish to but would rather leave the choice up to her. He saw Usui Takumi regularly, their respective companies often engaging in business deals and offering advice on shifting markets. The men were amicable between one another, much to Tora's surprise. He presumed she had kept the kiss they shared that day a secret and he was more than happy to stay silent if that was her wish. The Walker Heir had since been arranged to marry an English aristocrat, though from their brief talks Tora gathered he wasn't keen on the idea. It had taken a long time for Usui to come to terms with her leaving him, though he seemed to understand why and he seemed to support her decision despite it tearing his heart in two. Tora wanted to slap him whenever he spoke fondly of her - he would never have let her go so easily had she been his partner, not without fighting first. He never bothered with pity, though he did sympathise with the other man slightly. Misaki had left an aching void in both their lives.

Though his Father had passed three years ago, the Igarashi Conglomerate was booming. It seemed his years of hard work and little rest had paid off tenfold. Satisfied with the reach of control he had, he chose to delegate work to other figures within the company, easing the pressure from his own shoulders. The relief had been great, he slept for two days straight after his most successful deal was confirmed. Over time, he started to take care of himself again. His hair was still a vibrant blonde, though he chose to wear it smoothed back these days. He slept well, he ate regularly, he invested time in fitness. From the flocks of enamored people that surrounded him, he could tell it was paying off. The night happened entirely by coincidence. The Igarashi Group had received an invitation to an evening hosted by a clinical company with whom they had shares. Normally, he would have sent some other representatives, but he was already in the area and he could do with a party after a month of travelling around Japan. It never crossed his mind that she might be there.

It was eight o'clock, at a gothic banquet hall on the outskirts of the city. Igarashi arrived alone, his co-workers were already inside. He was dressed in formal black tie, hair slicked back away from his face, trademark cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. The hall was beautiful, coloured with plummy reds and rich golds. Four tables took up most of the space at the far end, each one set with fifty places for dinner. The entire chamber was filled with the pleasant smell of the food that would be served later. Tora felt his stomach grumble and moved into the room in search of canapes. The front half of the hall was filled with people, each holding a flute of champagne and dressed to the nines. They were talking happily amongst themselves, milling between the open bar and the area where a classical band were quietly playing. He finally sourced a waiter and happily accepted a glass of champagne. He moved further into the crowd, frowning slightly. Still no damn canapes, he thought, taking a drag from his cigarette. Carelessly, he tapped ash out onto the floor.

"Still as ignorant as ever," came a sharp voice from behind him.

He turned, raising an eyebrow in question. Ayuzawa stood in front of him, arms folded across her chest. She was bedecked in a floor length black dress that clung to her body in a very pleasing way. It was a simple garment which tied around her neck, leaving her back bared to hip level. Her hair was twisted in an up-do, though unruly, wispy strands had already started to fall around her face. Tora blinked twice, as if he were convinced he was imagining her, then a wide smirk spread across his face. His stomach dropped but he kept up with his cool facade.

"Miss Ayuzawa," he greeted, giving her a small bow. "You look ravishing."

"Shut it."

"Why?" he asked, tone overly polite. "I am simply offering a compliment."

She scowled. "Drop the gentleman act, Igarashi. It's not becoming."

"As blunt as ever. Still, I suppose I don't owe you any courtesy," he chuckled, straightening back up. The man stepped closer to her and leaned down to speak softly in her ear. "You look incredibly fuckable in that dress."

Misaki's face flushed a deep scarlet. "Shut up, people I work with are here."

Tora raised a brow and stepped back from her slightly. "You work for MSD?"

"Not directly," she answered. "I'm a clinical negligence solicitor with an external firm, but we do work a lot with them."

"I see," Tora said, taking a sip of his drink. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations for what?"

He stared at her blankly. "You were studying to become a lawyer last time I saw you. So, well done on actually getting there."

"Oh," she answered, giving him a smile. "Thank you."

The pair of them looked out at the crowd of people behind them and Tora jerked his head toward the French doors that opened up onto a balcony.

"Let's go outside, it's too fucking noisy in here."

"Agreed."

It was a warm night and a tumescent, pockmarked moon was a pale stain on the navy sky. Misaki took a seat at one of the many small tables that had been set on the balcony and began to fan herself with her clutch purse.

"My feet are already killing me," she moaned, leaning down so that she could rub the back of her foot. As Tora took a seat on the other side of the table, he caught a glimpse of the strappy heels that she was wearing. He laughed derisively and jammed his cigarette back in his mouth.

"Such elegant shoes for such a clumsy oaf. You'll break your ankles before the night is through," he commented, with a smirk.

Misaki glared at him then sat back up straight and held out a hand. "Give me a cigarette."

"Say please," he responded, airily.

"Please," she growled.

"Say please, Master."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Give me a cigarette or I will put out your eyes with my lipstick."

Tora grinned and reached into his jacket inner pocket for the packet. He held it out and she took one with an irritated sigh.

"When did you take up smoking?" he asked, tucking the packet back in his pocket. He held out his lighter and sparked the flame into life. Misaki leaned in and placed the end of the cigarette into the fire. She took a long drag, then sat back in her seat. Tora flicked his lighter shut and set it on the table. "And when did you start wearing lipstick?"

"When I became single," she answered, ignoring his obvious insult. He glanced over at her. She didn't look upset, instead her face was set in a passive expression. "It was stressful and smoking calmed me down. But it gets you hooked, doesn't it?"

"You're telling me," he said, as smoke started to plume from between his lips.

"You're kind of like smoking, aren't you Igarashi?" she said, turning her head to look at him. She gave him a bitter smile. "Maybe not the calming part."

"Then how?"

Misaki laughed lightly. "You're bad for me and you're addictive."

Tora furrowed his brow, confused. "Addictive?"

The woman nodded and leaned back in her seat. A cloud of smoke emitted from her mouth and began to dissipate around her. "Why do you think I kept saying yes?"

"I see," he replied. As he observed her, he couldn't help but notice the change in her. She had always been brash but now she made no effort to hide her disdain. "I've never heard you speak so easily, Misaki."

She rolled her eyes. "I tried lying to myself and look where that got me. There is little point in being dishonest to anyone, least of all myself."

Tora nodded. He drew in a breath and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. "What happened that night, I-"

"I guess I should thank you, really," she interrupted. He shut his mouth, surprised by her calm reaction. "If it weren't for you highlighting my doubts, I never would have had the courage to call things off."

"Doubts?"

Misaki nodded and took a short sip of her drink. "The fact that I would consider cheating on Usui made it clear that I wasn't ready for marriage- well, clear to me at least. I needed to pursue my own goals and, at the time, I couldn't do that and be by his side."

"Have you spoken with him since?" Tora asked, curiously.

"Yes," she said, with a smile. "Obviously things were difficult at first but he seemed to understand. We are still friends."

Tora hummed thoughtfully and took a long sip of his drink. "How strange."

"How is that strange?"

He looked away from her and stayed silent. It would surely upset her to hear that Usui never spoke of her. She reached across the table and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look back at her. They locked eyes for a moment, each searching the other's gaze for something that had been between them ever since the first night in his bedroom. He broke the atmosphere and shrugged her hand off.

"Are you seeing anyone presently?" he asked, curiously.

"No," she answered. "Are you?"

"No."

Misaki nodded and breathed a smoke-filled sigh. "I thought you'd be married off by now."

"After my Father died there was no-one to tell me what to do," he replied, picking up his glass. "I never found anyone interesting."

The woman smiled wryly. "Or perhaps you're too fussy."

Tora chuckled and raised his glass to his lips. "Perhaps."

The gentle hum of voices from inside grew louder as the party-goers devoured more alcohol. Misaki watched Tora sip his drink and placed it back on the table. He slowly turned to look at her and fixed her with a serious stare.

"I was waiting to hear from you," he said, frowning slightly.

"Why-"

"I didn't get in touch because you were obviously busy and miserable," he continued, his voice rather sour. "You had business to deal with and I had mine. Neither of us were ready to have the other barge into their life."

Her brows knitted together. "I-"

"Let me speak, for fuck's sake," Tora clenched his fist at his side, trying not to lose composure. Misaki leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, gritting her teeth together so that she didn't snap at him. The man glared at her, his cheeks flushing slightly in anger. "Do you even realise how irritating you are to me?"

"What?" she barked, scowling.

"You're uncouth and so self-righteous it makes my skin crawl. You take me to task on every little thing and think nothing of throwing a glass of wine in my face or backhanding me," he continued, baring his pointed teeth as he spoke with such vitriol. "I fucking hate you but-"

Tora paused and let out a sharp breath. Misaki raised an eyebrow, confused by his sudden outburst. "But what?"

He glanced at her and the anger in his expression seemed to fade. "But I like you. A lot. I have for a very long time."

Misaki blinked, shocked. "You like-"

"And I want you," he interrupted. "All to myself."

Igarashi instantly chided himself for speaking so freely. Misaki seemed to slump in her chair and she looked down at her hands, avoiding his gaze. The man groaned inwardly - what a stupid idea, as if his partially-offensive ramblings would seduce her.

"Don't spoil-"

He let out an aggravated growl, silencing her. "I'm so sick of you saying that. Stop forcing me to censor my feelings for you."

"I'm not-"

"Fucking you is great, but it isn't all I want. Stop making me wait, stop making me a villain." Tora leaned closer to her, narrowing his eyes. He spoke lowly, aggressively. "I've been more than patient - just give me a fucking answer."

Misaki laced her hands together in her lap and swept her thumbs back and forth over each other. This had been a long time coming, hadn't it, she thought. Years of avoiding her feelings for the man had not lessened them, in fact now that time had worked to alleviate the pain of Usui, Tora often passed through her mind. The past few years she had focused on herself entirely - she furthered her career, she expanded her group of friends across a number of cities, she spent time with her family. She patched over the hole left by Usui with care and took time to love herself. Takumi was still in her life, they often had drinks together when they passed through the same city. The atmosphere between them was never awkward, much to her relief. The romantic love had definitely dissipated, even for Usui, but the strong friendship between them remained. She recalled the last conversation they had, only two weeks prior.

" _You know Tora obviously has feelings for you," Usui said, leaning forward to take the straw in his glass into his mouth._

 _Misaki chuckled at the sight of him. He had ordered the largest Pina Colada she had ever seen and it was topped with a mountain of cream and fruit. She took a sip of her wine and placed the glass back on the table._

" _What do you mean?" she replied, frowning._

" _He mentions you all the time in business meetings," he laughed. "It's obvious that he's trying to avoid bringing you up in my presence but he just cannot help himself. It's very amusing."_

 _Misaki rolled her eyes at the man across the table. He hadn't changed much - his sandy hair was still a mess around his face and his green eyes sparkled with the same mischievous glint as they always had. He still teased her relentlessly but she was happy that they could laugh together. She was truly grateful to still have Takumi in her life._

" _Igarashi is an arrogant prick," she commented, pulling her bag off the floor to search for her packet of tobacco._

" _Yeah, but that's why you like him, right?" Usui said, leaning forward to taste more of his absurd drink. Misaki giggled to herself when he drew back and she saw a large blob of cream stuck to the end of his nose._

" _Uh, Usui you've got a little," she laughed, gesturing to his face._

 _The man peered down at his nose, his eyes crossing, then let out a laugh. He quickly swiped the cream from his nose and stuck his finger in his mouth. After a moment he pulled it out with a loud pop. "You know usually I have to drink straight whiskey or gin, it's nice to treat myself to-"_

" _A heart attack?" she added, sarcastically._

 _Usui pouted at her. "Something a little fun. Anyway, stop changing the subject."_

" _What more is there to say on the previous matter? I don't like hi-"_

 _The man rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. "Look Misa, think about it and contact him if you feel so inclined."_

" _Are you trying to set me up?" she asked, incredulously. "You of all people - with Tora?"_

 _Usui smiled widely and shrugged. "Look, you know better than anyone I'm not the biggest fan of the guy. But he isn't the same lout he was when we were at Seika. You don't have to contact him, but I'm just asking you to think on it."_

" _You say you're not his biggest fan and - you're too nice, you know that?"_

 _He gave her a wink and lowered his lips back down over the curly straw. "Just trying to help, Misa."_

Misaki tightened the grip on her fingers. She wasn't certain if she was prepared to confront the thoughts she had hidden for such a long time, but it was unfair to keep him waiting. The woman drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She cast aside her reservation and began to speak the first things that came to her mind. It would do no good to linger on her thoughts, it would only silence them. He had waited long enough, perhaps she had too.

"Would you need me by your side at all times?" she asked, quietly.

Tora frowned for a moment as her question sunk in then shook his head. "No. I wouldn't want that. I enjoy time alone - I know you do too."

"Would you be needlessly jealous?" Misaki said, looking back up at him. He would have thought she were joking were it not for the serious expression on her face.

"Why would I need to be? There's no-one to compare to me," he chuckled. He smirked, though his stomach was turning nervously. Where was she going with this, he thought to himself.

She stared back at him blankly. "Would you hurt me?"

Her question lingered in the air unpleasantly. After a moment of consideration, Tora opened his mouth.

"Not intentionally."

The corner of her mouth twitched into a half-smile for a brief second. "Honest."

"I've no reason to lie to you, Misaki," he answered.

She felt a shiver run down her spine at the soft way he spoke her name. "Do you love me?"

"No." Tora visibly stiffened. He caught her gaze and shook his head. "Not yet."

"Could you?"

"Yes," he replied, voice barely audible. He closed his eyes and gave a dark chuckle before opening them again. "What about you?"

"I don't love you," she said, smiling. "But I could."

Igarashi took a sip of his drink and looked out over the city beyond the balcony. The sound of cars speeding across the carriageway echoed faintly in the distance."An interesting development. I never thought we'd end up here."

"I know, it's aggravating," Misaki sighed, tapping the ash from the end of her cigarette. "Of all people, why did it have to be you? I fucking hate you."

"Well, you had a nice boy and you chucked him-"

"Shut your mouth, Igarashi."

"Can you call me Tora, already?" he grunted, scowling at her. "I asked you to a long time ago."

"Can you stop bossing me around, asshole?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

They glared at one another angrily until Misaki's expression dropped and she began to laugh happily. Tora smirked and gave a low chuckle. They sat in content silence for a moment, sipping their drinks and enjoying the evening air. As expected, it was Igarashi who broke the silence.

"You know I'm going to fuck you later," he commented, breezily.

"Not if I fuck you first," she replied, bluntly.

Tora felt his cheeks flush. "Don't say things like that, or I-."

"There's no real reason to stay, is there?"

He turned to look at her and a dark grin spread across his face. He stood up hastily and held out his hand for her to take. "Get your ass in the car - now."

She laced her fingers through his and fixed him with a playful, aggressive stare. "Yes, Master."

Tora felt his heart thud against his chest. Yes, he thought, it would be easy to fall in love with this woman.

-0-

Her apartment was spacious, clean - not that he really noticed, he was far too preoccupied by the naked woman whose thighs he was currently buried between.

"Fuck," she groaned, grabbing a fistful of his hair. "That feels, ah - good!"

Tora's fingers sank into the skin of her thighs, holding her legs apart as she came and they threatened to tighten around his head. He didn't wait long before lurching up over her torso and crashing his lips onto hers. Misaki grunted and raked her hands through his hair, tugging on it roughly. He leaned back, groaning happily.

"Fuck I love it when you-" he began. He was cut off when a hard slap landed on his cheek. Before he could look back, her fingers clasped his jaw and pulled his lips back down on hers. Tora moaned against her deft mouth, allowing her tongue to slide between his teeth. Eventually, she drew back, her head falling onto the duvet.

"I want you to fuck me. Hard as you like," she implored, breathlessly.

Tora leaned away from her, falling back on his knees. He swiftly unbuttoned his dress trousers and pushed them and his boxers past his hips.

"Ask me again," he ordered. He took his length in his hand and began to stroke it slowly. The way she looked up at him, her warm thighs around him and her beautiful body on display - he thought he might burst there and then. "Tell me how much you want me."

Misaki stared at him silently for a moment, then her face broke out into a soft, genuine smile. The expression surprised him somewhat, he had been expecting some sort of flippant comeback. She reached up and grabbed the end of his tie, then used it to pull him back down on top of her. Her arms wound around his back and one hand settled into his hair. Tora sighed at the feeling of her beneath him, enjoying the intimacy of the comforting position.

"I want you, Tora," she said, voice low. The woman tilted her head slightly, then leaned up to press a soft kiss against his lips. "Not just for the night."

He smirked and thrust into her roughly, groaning as her wet cunt surrounded him blissfully. With his hands placed on either side of her head, he sunk down onto his forearms, wanting to place his lips against hers once more. His strokes were hard, as hard as she had imagined them to be, and deep enough to hurt slightly.

"I want you. I've wanted you for so-," he panted, rocking his hips up sharply to keep up the depth he was hitting. "Fuck this is crazy."

Misaki laughed lightly and dragged her nails across the back of his neck, causing him to gasp. He shuddered and bit down harshly on the side of her neck in return. The woman's hips rolled underneath him and she let out a loud noise of satisfaction, clearly enjoying the sensation. Her insides tightened around him.

"Oh God. Tora, I'm going to-"

"No - not yet. Hold it," he growled, one hand moving to encase her neck. Misaki whimpered, but tried her best to stave off the impending orgasm, concentrating on her breathing rather than the overwhelming pleasure. Tora smirked, kissing her forehead as he thrust into her harder. "Good girl."

"Please, ah, I can't hold on, I-" she panted, her fingers gripping the back of his shirt as if holding on for dear life. In a spurt of madness, she dragged her fist down the shirt, popping the few remaining buttons from their holes and leaving his pale chest open to her viewing pleasure. She ran her hands down it greedily, fingernails digging into his pectorals and leaving tiny crescent shaped marks in their wake. The man snarled and sat up slightly, gripping her thighs in his hands and hoisting her legs onto his shoulders. With her body at this angle, he now began fucking her cruelly, relentlessly hard, hitting her in the right place constantly. Through her foggy vision she gauged how handsome he looked - his body was lean but muscular, constantly tense as if he were ready to attack. His face was angular, shadowed in the evening gloom. But it was his sparkling, golden eyes that sent a shiver down her spine - they emitting such raw power, such devastating charm, that she couldn't help feeling in awe of him. He was everywhere, smothering her skin, forcing his way into her mind, biting down hard on her neck until she felt the skin break under his sharp canines. He drew back to look at her and smiled, her blood slathered over his lips and chin like the perverse, arrogant, lover that he was-

But there, ever present in his gaze was the careful, dedicated, intelligent man she fell for.

"Fuck, come Misaki, come right now," he demanded, feeling himself tip over the edge. As her sex began to clench rhythmically around him, her face twisted into a look of pained pleasure, mouth hanging open, eyes tightly screwed shut. He shuddered as he came inside of her, resting back down on his forearms, with his head nestled in her neck. For a brief moment, there was nothing but their satiated gasps, which grew slower and slower, until their normal breathing pattern resumed and their hearts stopped pounding at a manic rate. Tora rolled onto his side and rested next to her. Tentatively, he curled an arm around her stomach and rested his head on her shoulder. Misaki circled his shoulders and pulled him slightly closer, allowing him to settle on her chest. She smiled and threaded her fingers carefully through his hair, stroking it softly.

"This is absurd," she murmured. She felt Tora smile against her skin.

"Utterly ridiculous," he agreed, chuckling lightly. He peered up at her and his grin widened to reveal his pointed teeth. "But now that I've caught you I'm not going to let you run away again."

Misaki laughed and rested her head back against the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. Slowly, she closed her eyes . "I'm not going anywhere."

Tora watched her peaceful face silently for a moment, then kissed the side of her breast lightly and laid his head down, exhausted.

The pair drifted to sleep, both hoping that they would not wake up alone.


	5. Chapter 5

When Misaki woke, the first few rays of sunlight were beginning to stream in through the cracks of the wooden shutters that protected the windows. Tora was still asleep next to her. He had drawn a blanket over their bodies to keep them both warm, which she cast aside as she slowly got to her feet. Quietly, so as to avoid waking him, she padded to the kitchen area and poured herself a glass of orange juice. She leant against the counter, looking down at the shirtless male, clad only in his boxers who was cuddling into the blanket. He looked uncomfortable, his face twisted into an expression of pain. Bad dream, she assumed.

Tora Igarashi, the man she hated and the man she could not stop thinking about. Her mind began separate the two and, strangely, she found it awfully easy. This man was not the awful, arrogant boy she first met, nor was he the jaded, malnourished CEO she had last seen. Still, she thought, he was still Tora Igarashi. What on Earth was she thinking? Part of her wanted to leave a note and dart out of the door. She could wait for him to leave by hiding in the lobby and sneak back upstairs when he left. Misaki shook her head. You're not a damn teenager, she scolded herself, stop acting so terrified. Besides, what about all she had said last night, hadn't she promised him that she would stay? If anything she should make him leave, it was her apartment after all! A shifting sound from across the room drew her attention. It seemed Tora too was perturbed by something, if his rough slumber was anything to go by. His brow was furrowed and his lips were twisted into a unhappy grimace. Every couple of minutes his body would twitch, as if he were being repeatedly shocked.

She smiled wryly. For the first time he looked innocent. He seemed so genuine. He seemed to care. She still itched to run to the door. The man across the room stirred slightly and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He groggily searched for her, until he caught glimpse of her by the counter. A soft, weary smile spread across his face and he reached out a hand to her. At the sight of her blank look, his smile faltered and she was shocked to see insecurity and desperation in his eyes. He sat up then, hand still outstretched.

"Come here," he murmured, beckoning to her. He tilted his head and strands of golden hair fell over his eyes. "Please."

Misaki swallowed thickly and set her glass back on the counter. Slowly, she walked back over to the bed and crawled up the covers so she could lay beside him. He held up the duvet until she reached the pillows, then covered her body with the sheet.

"Igarashi, I-" she began, shakily.

He kissed her shoulder with a gentleness even the morning rays could not manage. She turned her head, saw his face only for a brief second before his lips descended and her eyes fluttered shut. The man propped himself up on one elbow and let the other trail down over her hips. One of her hands ran through his already-messed hair, tugging slightly to halt his actions.

"Igarashi," she began, pulling away from him.

"Tora," he corrected, letting out a deep sigh.

"Is this okay?" she asked, laying her hands on her stomach. She turned her head away from him, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. The ceiling plaster looked as if it was cracking.

"What do you mean?"

Misaki sighed and rolled onto her side to face him. He looked back at her curiously, as if waiting to decipher her next question. This was the first time she had woken up beside him, wasn't it? Every other encounter between them had resulted in Misaki waking to a vacant space. She bit her bottom lip unconsciously. Even with the confused thoughts running through her head, he looked too tempting.

"I mean. This, everything we said last night, I - can we really expect this to work so easily?"

Tora shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. She moved her hand to his chest and lightly trailed her fingers down his stomach, observing the way his muscles tightened under her touch.

"Of course not," he replied, opening his eyes again. "But that doesn't mean it won't work."

Misaki nodded and continued to draw circles on his skin. "I will have to admit - I'm terrified."

"Yeah, well. So am I. But I spent a long time mulling over these feelings and-" he paused, gasping slightly as her fingers swirled lower down his mid-section. "I-"

Tora shuddered as her hand made its way into his underwear, fingers lightly dancing over his inner thighs. A singular digit stroked the length of his hardening cock and a groan escaped him.

"Carry on."

"I didn't recognise what it was for a long time - fuck, stop teasing me, Misaki."

"What do you mean?"

"I- uh, god that feels incredible - wanted to fuck you at first, that was all. When you threw that wine in my f-face I half wanted to hit you, half take you right there on the desk in the classroom," Tora panted, hips twisting under her firm grip. "After that night at my house, uh fuck-"

She crawled down his body, still working him with one hand, and pulled his boxers down with the other. After positioning herself over him, she lowered her head and lightly licked the tip of his cock. Tora groaned loudly, but seeing the glare she gave him, continued his story.

"I wasn't certain if I was ready for you to leave."

Misaki withdrew for a moment, and licked her lips slowly. Tora gazed at her blearily, bucking his hips upwards into her hand as she squeezed gently.

"And?"

"And now I'm certain," he ground out, fists clenching at his sides. She could tell he was close, and slowed her strokes to stave his impending orgasm. "After all the shit you've pulled-"

"I've pulled?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes. "You were the one who started all this."

"After all that," he said, through pants. He propped himself up on his elbows and stared at her, skin shining with perspiration. "I want you."

"Why? Because you like playing games with me? Because you want to fuck me?" she asked, her tone strangely icy.

"Uh, god, ple- no because," he stammered, laying back down and pressing his hands against his flushed face. He was finding it more and more difficult to make sense. " And then, I wanted you to stay-"

"What?"

"-I want you to stay. P-please, fuck- agh."

Misaki frowned and moved her hand faster again, until he cried out a final time and his body shook violently with pleasure. Thick, pale liquid spurted over her hand and his lower abdomen, and he let out a shaky breath as the orgasm began to ebb away. She retracted her arm and laid back down to face the ceiling, ignoring the slightly sticky feeling between her fingers.

"Is that because you're lonely?" she asked.

Tora let out a few more breaths before turning his head to look at her. "Yes, and no."

"No?"

He hesitated, but eventually rolled onto his side and began to mimic her previous movements, drawing slow, deliberate circles on one of her breasts. "No. I'm not asking you to stay because I'm lonely."

"Then why?"

He smiled at her faintly and released her nipple, rubbing it gently to relieve any soreness he might have created. "So many questions, Misaki."

Misaki sighed gently as he continued to stroke her breasts. The information she was receiving was addling her brain. Before she could fully engage with the idea of a relationship with Igarashi, she wanted to be certain of every little detail. She couldn't make the same mistake again. But - ah, the sensations he was causing was making it hard to concentrate.

Tora sighed and pinched her hardening nipple between his fingers, causing her to gasp. "I want you to stay because I like it when you are by my side. And for the longest while I couldn't work out why. I thought it might be because you interested me but, it was a little more than that."

Misaki arched upwards as he stroked down her stomach, but as her mind raced with the curious things he had told her, she grabbed his wrist and halted him just before he reached her hips.

"So what do you intend to do now?" she questioned, staring up at him with a hard glare.

"Right now?"

Misaki eyes widened as he snatched his hand out of her grip. Tora grinned and slowly moved his fingers to caress the outer lips of her cunt.

"And after this, who knows? I don't intend to propose to you yet, Misaki. Bit bold of you to assume I would."

"I-I didn't mean that, Igarash-"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he hissed, running his finger through her wetness to settle on her clit. He rubbed it softly, taking his time to circle the outer edge fully. "Call me Tora."

He leant down and placed a soft kiss against her lips. Misaki let out a whimper as his finger brushed her clit quickly and lightly.

"Enough with the inquisition," Tora said, moving down to brush his lips over her neck. "I want to be with you, Misaki. That's all there is to it. No hidden agenda, no lies. You have known me for a long time now, am I not essentially the same man? I'm not going to change my mind. It took me a long time to work out that the sickness I kept feeling when I was around you was affection. Now that I am illuminated, I do not intend to go back to ignorance."

His fingers quickened, swirling around her swollen clit. She cried out again, louder this time and he kissed her ear softly. They did not speak until she came, her hips bucking against his hand as he gently placed his lips to her temple. She moaned his name as the high peaked. Tora.

"So, that is it. What happens next is up to you, Misaki."

She stared up at him, letting out a deep breath. Tora smirked back and lifted his fingers to his mouth to taste the juices that clung to them. Misaki sighed gently and placed a hand against his chest.

"Will you tire of me eventually?" she asked.

He laced his fingers through hers. "Of course not, you idiot."

"Screw you," she retorted, pulling him toward her so that she could wrap an arm around his waist. "You know you sounded really soppy back there, Tora."

The blonde snorted and rolled his eyes. "I've been keeping that shit bottled up for about ten years, forgive me this one occasion. It won't happen again."

Misaki grinned. "No, I think you've exhausted your lifetime supply of honest emotion."

Tora glared at her momentarily before his expression sunk into a happy smile. "Good, it's tiring being open like that. I don't know how you do it."

Misaki smiled at him and he felt his stomach twist. She gently brushed her nose against his and gave a low chuckle. "Thank you for speaking so openly with me. I realise that perhaps I haven't been quite as understanding of your feelings as I should have been."

Tora grinned back. "It wasn't like you knew. I didn't exactly treat you like someone I cared about."

Her smile faltered. "I knew."

"You-" Tora began, tensing slightly. He thought back to the day they shared the kiss on his balcony. That night he knew from the way she clutched his arms, they way she cried, that she could see how he felt. He himself knew that it was written all over his face. The man frowned. "If you knew, then why didn't you-?"

"I didn't know what to do, Tora. At that time I was uncertain of how I felt about you, about Usui," she sighed, looking away from him. "I was hardly experienced in romance."

Tora nodded, keeping his gaze on her. When she looked back at him, she could feel the weight of the glare he gave her. "If you knew, you should have let me finish my sentences all those times I tried to tell you how I felt. Forcing me to keep my mouth shut to save face was hardly considerate."

"I-"

The man unwound his arms from her waist and swung his legs around so that he sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from her. Misaki reached across the covers to touch his shoulder but withdrew her hand when he stood and headed toward the chair his shirt was flung over.

"Tora, wait," she began, sitting up and pulling the covers over her chest.

He turned to face her as he began to pull on his clothes, a sour expression on his face. There was a weariness to his voice that she hadn't heard before. "I'm the villain in your story, right? A nasty, little rich side character."

"That's-"

"You said it yourself, Misaki. 'Why did it have to be you?' - do you know how much that fucking hurts to hear? I kept up that act for years just to make you feel better. "

"I didn't mean-"

Tora slammed his hand down on the chest of drawers beside him in irritation. Misaki jumped, shuffling to the other side of the bed away from him. He watched her carefully, taking in her widened eyes, her shocked expression.

"Enough," he murmured. Slowly, he buckled his belt and began to button up his shirt. "Look, Misaki. I know I'm not the most vocal about how I feel, but more often than not that is because I don't understand my own emotions. But this- this I understand. And I don't appreciate being subject to the Spanish Inquisition because of your insecurities. I like you- a lot. I want you so much I'm willing to keep talking about all this bullshit. You have to decide whether or not you can see me as a lover, not just as the villain. It isn't fair."

After his monologue, she clenched the sheets between her hands and looked away from him.

"I was wrong to make you stay silent, Igarashi," she began. He scowled at the use of his name. "But how the fuck was I supposed to know you felt after all the shit you had done? The things you did when we were still in school were just - you manhandled me the first time we met, for Christ's sake, did you think I would just forget all that? I'm apprehensive about a relationship with you due to all the fucked up shit you did to me. More than that, I'm angry with myself for falling for you!"

Halfway through her diatribe, he had picked up his shoes and slammed her front door shut behind him. The man and woman both grit their teeth in anger as they settled into the silence. Both were unhappy, and as the hours passed they realised it was not with the other, but with themselves.

-0-

"Open the fucking door!"

Misaki growled and wrapped a towel around her body, shivering as the cool evening air hit her skin. It had been three days since her argument with Tora and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of the man. It was eight in the evening and she had been attempting to shower when the first knock sounded. At first she didn't hear, but soon the gentle knocks turned into a rhythmic pounding that she couldn't ignore. The woman furiously wrenched open the door and flushed red when she saw Tora standing just outside. He wore his usual business attire, though his jacket was in his hand and his tie was hanging loose around his neck. He carried a large bouquet of lilies in the other hand. The man thrust them toward her.

"For you, asshole," he spat, glaring at her. Misaki took the flowers, confused. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"I-okay," she mumbled, biting her lower lip.

Tora groaned and pushed past her, leaving Misaki to close the door behind him. He turned back to look at her, his hands sinking deep into his pockets. "And I'm sorry, okay?"

"What?"

The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, Misaki. For all the dreadful crap I did when we were younger and for kissing you that time. I know flowers and a shit apology won't be enough for you but-"

"Thank you. Really," she replied, a small smile on her lips. She placed the flowers down on the dining table and glanced back at him. Nervously, she pulled the towel tighter around her chest. "I apologise for what I said and for what happened in the past."

Tora pursed his lips and she noticed a vein twitch in his forehead. He leaned back against the kitchen counter behind him, clutching his suit jacket in his hand. "I want to ditch all the shit excuses of 'I hate you', 'I hate you too', blah blah blah. It's nonsense. Clearly something that we're both using to-"

"I know. It's stupid. We're idiots," she cut in, weakly. The woman sighed and crossed the room, closing the distance between them. Much to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Tora raised a brow but, after a moment, wound his arms around her back. The stood in silence for a moment and a gentle smile grew on his face. He moved one hand up and held the back of her head softly. Misaki made a noise, some sentence muffled by his shirt.

"Huh?" he replied. He pried her from his shirt and caught her eye, confused when he saw her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. "What did you say?"

Misaki let out a deep breath and scowled at him. "I like you, you stupid-"

"I like you too," he answered, grinning widely.

She leaned her head against his chest, no longer surprised by how comfortable his closeness made her feel. "You didn't have to get me flowers, Tora."

"What would you have preferred, a solid gold watch?" he retorted. He held her head close, caressing her damp hair with his fingers, so that she didn't notice the deep flush that had spread across his cheeks. The man sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"Obviously not," Misaki replied. "Do you want to go out for dinner?"

"Nah, let's get pizza."

"I thought it was too cheap for your tastes."

"It's grown on me."

-0-

Just as Tora had predicted, things were not easy. They argued frequently, though the arguments were never serious. Tora was easily irritated by her initial standoffishness. The woman was still nervous about entering a new relationship and often closed herself off, to the point where he would have to storm to her house after a week of no contact on her part. He would bring dinner, the same takeaway pizza as their first dinner together, and try to allay her worries. These conversations often ended with the two of them curling up together in her bed, exhausted. He was relieved when she seemed to accept him completely, around the sixth month mark.

Misaki got pissed off when he made a mess of her house - it seemed that as the man got more comfortable being around her, the more disorder he brought to her life. It was infuriating, considering how clean his own home was. Neatly stacked papers soon became mussed piles on the floor. Her tables were soon littered with empty wine bottles and filled ashtrays. She found his clothes strewn across furniture throughout the entire apartment, though this was one part she didn't mind quite as much, as she liked wearing his shirts to sleep in. He bemoaned this preference, as the expensive garments ended up crinkled and sweaty but she would just roll her eyes in return. After a year, Tora got sick of her whining and suggested she move into his place, promising to keep it clean. Reluctantly, she agreed.

They found it very easy to live with one another. At first, he found it a little strange to wake up next to her every morning, but he soon got used to it and grew to miss her body beside him when she was away on business. The once-stark apartment slowly became filled with books, photographs, signs of life.

Summer passed and the blossoms on the trees outside the skyscraper were replaced with thick layers of frost. Misaki was sat at the dining table, wrapped up in a thick black sweater and a pair of flannel pyjama trousers. She was frowning at her laptop, clearly irritated by the television show she was streaming on it.

"This has really gone downhill since season two," she complained, reaching for the glass of wine on the table.

Tora looked over from the kitchen, where he was trying to assemble a meal. He had just arrived home from work, so was still clad in dress trousers and a dark shirt, though he had rolled up the sleeves to prevent them from getting dirty. He rolled his eyes at her and leaned against the countertop.

"I wouldn't know, I don't watch that trash," he commented. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Can we just get a damn takeaway, I don't know how to make-"

"Hey, it's your turn to cook," she interrupted, pausing the show. "No backing out."

"I'm no better at cooking than you, Misaki," he grumbled, narrowing his eyes. "And last time you made dinner we ate raw-"

"Alright, fine, fine," she said, waving her hand. "You're so lazy."

Tora scoffed and walked around the island toward her. He rounded the table and stood close behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders. Misaki sighed as he began to gently rub the muscles around her neck. She felt his breath skim over her ear and his lips touch the skin at the top of her jaw.

"I was at work all day, you had the day off. If anyone should be called lazy, it should be you," he hissed, lowly. Misaki rolled her head back so that it settled on his shoulder and let out a sigh. His closeness still had a resounding effect on her.

"Lazy," she repeated, goading him. She closed her eyes when she felt one of his sharp teeth nip the side of her throat.

"If I cook tonight, what will you do for me?" he asked, softly. One of his arms wrapped around her shoulder and slid under the neck of her jumper. Misaki bit her lip when she felt his fingers roughly grip her breast.

"Your filthy mind never shuts off, does it?" she said, with a smile.

He pinched her nipple hard and let out a chuckle when she yelped. "Not with you around."

Misaki arched into his hand and let out a shaky breath. "Well, what would you like me to do for you?"

Tora hummed lightly and began toying with the other breast. "I'm torn. Part of me wants to spank that beautiful ass of yours, but I have also wanted you to cuff me. We haven't done that in a while."

The woman licked her lips unconsciously. The memory of a tied and gagged Tora played in her mind. "Surprise me."

He laughed and withdrew his hand from her shirt, much to her displeasure. The man moved around to the side of her chair and leaned down to kiss her. Before pressing his lips against hers, he paused and gave her a small smile. Misaki opened her mouth to comment, but held herself back when his expression dropped into seriousness.

"I love you," he said, firmly, for the first time.

Misaki blinked. She felt her face heat up significantly and slowly, a large smile broke out across her face. "I love you too."

She barely had time to breathe before Tora took her cheeks in his hands and caught her in a devastating kiss. Misaki sighed audibly, raking a hand through his hair. The mutual admission had relieved the couple of a heavy weight that had, without them realising, been burdening their minds. Tora opened one eye and shoved her laptop and papers out of the way, then lifted her from her seat and laid her down on the dining table. Misaki groaned and kicked her chair away so that her lover could settle between her legs. Sharply, she yanked on his shirt and pulled him on top of her, twisting his collar tightly between her finger and thumb.

"Actually, I changed my mind," she murmured, breath warm against his cheek. "Go find the cuffs."

-0-

End

(Well, there will be a purely smutty epilogue. Ideas would be appreciated!)

Y


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